What are some good Hardware Controllers for using Live?

brom · Post by **brom** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 5:26 am

It all depends what you want to do. Live mixing of your own compositions, performing with live instruments, using it as a drum machine or DJing? Or combinations of all those options.

Many possibilities many solutions.

What do you want to use Ableton for?

channelite · Post by **channelite** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 5:50 am

For a all in one controller, I'd recommend the the Axiom 49. For finger drumming and triggering clips, I think the Korg pad Kontrol is the best. I also have the UC33e which is also very good for the price. I would have liked to try the Faderfox LV2, but for $400 in the US.. That's alot for a midi controller. Haven't tried any Novations, but they look good too. If I could have one, I'd go for an Axiom 25 or 49 since they are built really good, offer alot of features for the price.

grimleyj · Post by **grimleyj** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:34 am

Here are my Live controllers:

Nord G2 (with Ableton template patch)
Custom controller with joysticks, knobs and switches
E-MU XL-7 covered in Ableton cheat stickers!!!
NI Kore 2
Korg PadKontrol

The XL-7 is my main Live controller though. I don't use the built in sounds at all anymore. I have a Live template that I use with the XL-7 which has 16 tracks each containing:
1 knob compressor
4 band EQ
Filter
Saturation

The XL-7 knobs control:
4 band EQ (freq, gain, q) for all tracks
3 send levels for all tracks
compressor amount for all tracks
filter cuttof, resonance, filter type for all tracks
saturation drive for all tracks
reverb settings (send1)
delay settings (send2)
post-delay filter settings

The buttons control:
transport controls
scene up/down/play
Track: solo; filter enable; play; A/B; select
FXPansion Guru controls: play; stop; rec; undo; commit

Touchstrip controls A/B crossfade

Here's a (crappy iPhone) closeup of all the stickers:

rob lee · Post by **rob lee** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:47 am

Axiom 61 does me fine using Live 7

brom · Post by **brom** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:04 am

After a lot of research, I believe the Allen & Heath Xone 2D ($US700) is the best for DJing at the moment (I imagine you don't want to drop 3K on a Xone 3d).

The Vestax VCM-600 looks primo, but it won't be available for a while yet.

At the end of the day it comes down to your own personal technique. Lately I have been running Ableton through an analogue mixer with good results. Though it has it's drawbacks. 1. No buttons to launch clips, 2. The mixing is not recorded as envelopes in Ableton.

The Xone 2D is a good option, as it has a built in 8 channel soundcard with monitoring section. It is also one of the better layed out devices for DJing.

I would use each channel strip as such:
Illuminated button: Cue
The other three buttons: Track Launch, Clip Stop, Track Mute
Fader: Track Volume
The two pots: EQ Low, EQ Mid
Rotary Encoder: Auto Filter (X Axis)

I would use either the jog wheel or the stand-alone rotary encoder for 'scene select'.

And guess what I would use the cross fader for? yep, cross fading.

I think you could do a reaaly tight set with this set up.

http://www.xone.co.uk/2d/

ThrowAway · Post by **ThrowAway** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:54 am

hamsters are evil bastards.

Mesmer · Post by **Mesmer** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:16 am

In case OP missed this somehow:

here:
http://www.lividinstruments.com/hardware_ohm.php

Also worth your time:
http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic. ... highlight=

Silwolffe · Post by **Silwolffe** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:30 am

The Ohm looks absolutely beautiful.

brom · Post by **brom** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:00 am

The ohm is a nice bit ok kit. It would be really nice for mixing your own compositions live.

I don't think it has enough pots or rotary encoders for my DJing style though.

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:18 am

I love my ReMote25, very intelligent controller.

+ the Drehbanks, there's nothing else currently like them.

pepezabala · Post by **pepezabala** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:24 am

I love my Wiimote. With the new osculator-beta I can use numerous presets and switch between them. I have one preset with which I can navigate scenes or on the clip grid. and another one that controls a multieffectrack in one of my returns. another one for the transport controls and some main parameters (quantization on/off etc). And of course one that allows some crazy valueshaking on the automap/blue hand controls. All of that for 30$. And no cables!

pierreb · Post by **pierreb** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:36 pm

Good price on ebay now. The AKAI MPD 32 comes with a built in Profile for Ableton Live.

mrvinyl · Post by **mrvinyl** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:47 pm

im into the USB hamsters,
the faderfox aren't usb are they?

NorthernMonkey · Post by **NorthernMonkey** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:19 pm

mrvinyl wrote:im into the USB hamsters,
the faderfox aren't usb are they?

Nope, MIDI. Excellent controllers though.

karmaofdove · Post by **karmaofdove** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:31 pm

The korg zero 8 works wonders for me. Hiss free to boot

What are some good Hardware Controllers for using Live?

Akai MPD 32