Impulse/MPK Arpeggiator VS Ableton's

[Rane]

Anyone have any pointers/insight as to the advantages of a built-in controller arepeggiator? I'm in the market for a new controller and I'm kinda' stuck between the Axiom Air, Akai MPK, and Novation Impulse.

The Axiom Air doesn't have an arpeggiator, but is my favorite as far as keyboard feel is concerned. The Impulse seems to have kinda' cheap hardware, but a ton of cool features (arpeggiator, roll, clip launching).

I'm kinda' stuck. The Impulse just looks so easy to use, but the hardware isn't my favorite. Anyone have any insight? How does a controller arpeggiator compare to Ableton's?

[ezelkow1]

They are probably nice if your using the keyboard with hardware, but with software it really doesnt buy you anything. You could rack up ableton's arp or any arp vst/au, map the parameters you want and then have much better control over the arp then using the ones in one of those keyboards

The one thing it will buy you is saving you the step of recording the midi output of a software arp if thats what you wanted, since the keyboard will output the notes already arp'd, where as the software one you would have to route to another midi track and record its output

[Rane]

They are probably nice if your using the keyboard with hardware, but with software it really doesnt buy you anything. You could rack up ableton's arp or any arp vst/au, map the parameters you want and then have much better control over the arp then using the ones in one of those keyboards

The one thing it will buy you is saving you the step of recording the midi output of a software arp if thats what you wanted, since the keyboard will output the notes already arp'd, where as the software one you would have to route to another midi track and record its output

Thanks! I think that clears things up for me.