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Anybody use a Korg Micro Kontrol?

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 12:28 am
by karate
Im thinking of picking one of these up. How do they hold up? Any other suggestions?

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 12:38 am
by Tarekith
They're pretty solid, except for maybe the mini keys. Everything else is solid, those just feel a little weak due to their size. The faders, rotaries and drum pads are perfect though. I'm considering picking up the full sized key version when they come out soon, as the mini keys are my oinly complaint with the current models.

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 1:59 am
by SongCarver
not a bad machine, had one for a few days until i got a novattion 25 controller.

the knobs, although continous, cannot sent relative midi data, ( a la endless) keep that in mind.


small keys are annoying. depends what you do though.

the novation for me was a better option, let me set up some templates to trick live into doing things like tempo drag and push etc.

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 5:22 am
by Nilus Rothschild
Love it. I will be getting the full size key version when it arrives.

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 6:20 am
by bitmap
i love the microKontrol. i find the foot switch port very useful in Live.
i arm it to record clips from the ext in.
i really don't mind the mini keys...
but i was raised on sk-1's & sk-5's.

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 10:12 am
by raapie
bitmap wrote:i love the microKontrol. i find the foot switch port very useful in Live.
nice one. I probably get one too. foot switch ports are cool for a guitarplayer like me ;)

copy of my other reply

Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 5:44 pm
by salatspinatra
this is a copy of my comments on the microKontrol full key thread:

I've always had a piano in my life, so if anyone SHOULD be a snob about action, weighted keys, and muscle memory, it should be me.

Truth is for me,
1) smaller keys don't take more reorienting to than, say, taking a pair of sun glasses on and off.
2) the smaller keys allow for more interesting, varied, and open voicings. Because you can reach them. Not all music was build on keyboard chords, you know. How else would you plan to stretch your hand in the shape of a guitar chord, for example, without playing the guitar? How would you emulate the 10th between the sopranos and the Bass if you were emulated voices (not that I do).
3) For the same reason, using the mini-keyboard as a controller allows you to reach more remote, unrelated clips if you've separated scenes, songs, etc. by octave.

What I would like to see on the microkontrol is an unlatch for the joystick. On the novation you can disengage the spring. This would be great for setting a point in the x/y axis of an effect, for example. As it is now. The joystick jumps from extreme to extreme and so do the parameters.

Secondly, I DO envy the x/y pad on the Novation too. Although I do have a kaos already, heck I want 2 of em.

And you do loose some symetry with having only 8 rotaries 8 faders, if you use the crossfader and such. The novation has 9 faders.

I don't envy the novation manufacturing, however. The microkontrol has less of a "hobby" feel to it, in my opinion.

Best,

Salat