SL MK II keyboard

[Dash]

For those of you who criticize either choice please offer a better solution

[Fieldy]

i had the zero sl and now i have the zero sl mk2. i only use it for plugins, so i don`t need the second display strongly. the crossfader of the mk2 is crap. the drumpads are better now.

[monobeach]

isn't there an online shop, where you can order and send it back in 30 days? - best possibility to try things out, if there's no shop nearby, IMHO. the use of keyboards is highly subjective in my experience

[Sage]

Everyone keeps saying "feels" and "looks" cheaper. Does anyone have anything to prove why the MKI is better?

I own a MK1 and had a play around with the MK2 in a shop not too long ago. It just felt cheaper overall.

[NPC]

i use the remote zero mk1 and the first thing i did when installing it was deleting the automap...just too boring to search where (probably in the third page) they put the filter or lfo rate..dont have experience with ver.3 so i cannot tell but unless you use a lot of plugins AND continuously switch between them i guess the automap its pretty useless. That said, i think that (excluding the pads) as a controller in general it is absolutely outstanding. you can configure every bit of parameters and stuff in a comfortable way even from the controller itself.the blind faders everybody complains of are useful for me as i mainly use them as on-off volume switches instead of slowly fading them, so i dont need them to be so long. been tempted about mkii but the lack of the second screen and the fact that they did integrate the transport buttons in the right rows (with the mki i can use them as additional 6 buttons) pissed me off. i guess i will soon get a remote 25 mki instead...just my 2 cents.

[NPC]

oh btw the fact that everybody tells it feels cheaper makes me a bit upset..wtf this sells for 380€! why does no manufacturer give us a f***ing awesome controller...
maybe we should create a collaborative group between us fellow abletoners to create THE controller, you know that 24-knob 12-fader 64-buttons (of which 32 lighted) 12-pad beauty no firm could ever think of making (as they're not interested in giving us a PERFECT product)...the only issue for me is that i dont know anything about soldering and stuff so i could just participate in organizing its layout...well if somebody has the will and time to do it...count me in!

[stapum]

I own a MK1 and had a play around with the MK2 in a shop not too long ago. It just felt cheaper overall.

Same here, except for the drum pads that actually feels a lot better than the MK1's.

[Dash]

What about it 'feels' cheaper? How can you tell how cheap something is by the feel of it? Most of the time what we "feel" and "think" are just abstractions from a reality that is much different then we can interpret. This is where quantifiable objective facts come into play...

[monobeach]

What about it 'feels' cheaper? How can you tell how cheap something is by the feel of it? Most of the time what we "feel" and "think" are just abstractions from a reality that is much different then we can interpret. This is where quantifiable objective facts come into play...

dash, I have some experience with keyboards, but not with the Remote series (thinking of getting one though).

but IMHO, it's really a matter of the subjective 'feel', your style of playing and your experience.

e.g.: I learned playing piano on a real piano. Playing a grand piano gives you a certain 'feel'for the instrument. When I was asked to play keyboard in a band, naturally, I chose a keyboard which imitates the grand piano 'feel' the best, that is, a keyboard with weighted keys. Then, I bought a Nord Electro to expand my versatility in using differnent classic keyboard emulations like fender rhodes, clavinet, wurlitzer and hammond organ. The Electro comes with a waterfall keyboard, imitating the hammond 'feel'. although the Electro is an awesome device, and I played lots of shows with it, I never got really used to play the pianos with the waterfall keyboard. For playing pianos, it felt kind of 'cheap', meaning a lack of expressiveness on my site. So I ended up playing the Electro via midi with the grand piano keyboard for the piano sounds - lots more expression. These days, I play a Nord Stage for this reason. I was knocked off my feet, when I purchased a real Fender Rhodes for the 'feel' of the keyboard. For synth sounds, I also use a Nord Lead, which I am totally comfortable with for playing synth.

to cut a long story short: what you abstract from reality and interpret as a certain 'feeling' heavily depends on your previous experience and thus, is totally subjective. So, 'cheap' could be translated as a 'plastic'-like feel of the keys, if you are used to a real piano for example, or a 'not solid' feel. To find out, what suits you and your style of playing best, you have to 'feel' the keyboard. I, for example, can't stand the M-audio Axiom-keys, because they have an un-natural feel to me.
I only tried the SL MKI keyboard and it felt solid and comfortable to play with. I would use it mainly to control synths and lay down midi tracks for bass or orchestra instruments and the like, though. I, personally, wouldn't rely on it as my only controller for playing pianos in Ableton, just to sketch out ideas.

It's like you try to play percussion with a midi controller. Certainly, the schooled player appreciates the most possible sensitivity of the pads used. For a lot of people these are the pads of the Korg PadKontrol In comparison with those, the pads on the SL series feel cheap, because they don't give you the same amount of expresiveness.

best,

m

[condra]

A tilted screen would have been great.

[Dash]

What about it 'feels' cheaper? How can you tell how cheap something is by the feel of it? Most of the time what we "feel" and "think" are just abstractions from a reality that is much different then we can interpret. This is where quantifiable objective facts come into play...

dash, I have some experience with keyboards, but not with the Remote series (thinking of getting one though).

but IMHO, it's really a matter of the subjective 'feel', your style of playing and your experience.

e.g.: I learned playing piano on a real piano. Playing a grand piano gives you a certain 'feel'for the instrument. When I was asked to play keyboard in a band, naturally, I chose a keyboard which imitates the grand piano 'feel' the best, that is, a keyboard with weighted keys. Then, I bought a Nord Electro to expand my versatility in using differnent classic keyboard emulations like fender rhodes, clavinet, wurlitzer and hammond organ. The Electro comes with a waterfall keyboard, imitating the hammond 'feel'. although the Electro is an awesome device, and I played lots of shows with it, I never got really used to play the pianos with the waterfall keyboard. For playing pianos, it felt kind of 'cheap', meaning a lack of expressiveness on my site. So I ended up playing the Electro via midi with the grand piano keyboard for the piano sounds - lots more expression. These days, I play a Nord Stage for this reason. I was knocked off my feet, when I purchased a real Fender Rhodes for the 'feel' of the keyboard. For synth sounds, I also use a Nord Lead, which I am totally comfortable with for playing synth.

to cut a long story short: what you abstract from reality and interpret as a certain 'feeling' heavily depends on your previous experience and thus, is totally subjective. So, 'cheap' could be translated as a 'plastic'-like feel of the keys, if you are used to a real piano for example, or a 'not solid' feel. To find out, what suits you and your style of playing best, you have to 'feel' the keyboard. I, for example, can't stand the M-audio Axiom-keys, because they have an un-natural feel to me.
I only tried the SL MKI keyboard and it felt solid and comfortable to play with. I would use it mainly to control synths and lay down midi tracks for bass or orchestra instruments and the like, though. I, personally, wouldn't rely on it as my only controller for playing pianos in Ableton, just to sketch out ideas.

It's like you try to play percussion with a midi controller. Certainly, the schooled player appreciates the most possible sensitivity of the pads used. For a lot of people these are the pads of the Korg PadKontrol In comparison with those, the pads on the SL series feel cheap, because they don't give you the same amount of expresiveness.

best,

m

This makes a lot of sense. Thank you for the explanation monobeach. I am certainly not a keyboardist and I will be using it mainly as a controller to get tones and sounds.

The reason I am looking to get the MKII is because 49 keys is perfect for me and it is only 100$ more than the larger MKI....

so in my case it would make more sense to purchase the MKII it seems.

Would this be correct?

[monobeach]

wasn't there a 49 of the first series? if this is continued, I would say yes to 49 keys. gives you a decent range of 4 octaves, but not too big, too. I use a 49 keys keyboard all the time and don't feel (too) limited. maybe in the bass region for playing pianos, but that's not such a big problem. the novation controllers have a keyboard by Fatar, which is one of the best keyboard manufacturers out there, IMO, so yes, go for it - and get your ideas out there, surely, the remote series will give you a lot of control and fun (which it is all about in the end)

[Dash]

wasn't there a 49 of the first series? if this is continued, I would say yes to 49 keys. gives you a decent range of 4 octaves, but not too big, too. I use a 49 keys keyboard all the time and don't feel (too) limited. maybe in the bass region for playing pianos, but that's not such a big problem. the novation controllers have a keyboard by Fatar, which is one of the best keyboard manufacturers out there, IMO, so yes, go for it - and get your ideas out there, surely, the remote series will give you a lot of control and fun (which it is all about in the end)

Why stick with the first series though?

Ive had other people tell me to go for MKII for various reasons.

[monobeach]

just because it would be cheaper

[Dash]

just because it would be cheaper

hehe. Gotchya