Best MIDI control surface for Live?

dru · Post by **dru** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:26 am

What do people here use as a good control surface for Live? What would be the best from the list of native control surfaces in Live?

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:37 am

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=53273

dru · Post by **dru** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:40 am

My question was more specific..

timothyallan · Post by **timothyallan** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:40 am

BCR + trigger finger + lemur + uc33 + o2 is the best for live, and for trance as well.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:04 am

bcr - most controls per square inch (but it's not small) and $$, NOT usb powered
uc33 - cheap, USB powered, small
trigger finger - decent drum pads, a few knobs and sliders, USB powered
novation SL25 - decent keys, drum pads suck, LCDs accompany automapping well.
bcf - where the BCR has 24 knobs the BCF has 8 motorized faders, faders are great for feeling volume levels.

go to a store and see what strikes you, lots of options out there. my advice would be to get one device at a time, use it to its fullest then see what kind of device compliments it.

lemur is $2400...

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:09 am

xone 3d?

horsehead · Post by **horsehead** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:13 am

Mackie Control is Great, it automatically updates over Midi when you create a new Track or add Pluggins, so you dont have to assign.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:19 am

sweetjesus wrote:xone 3d?

But of course!!

CaseyDC · Post by **CaseyDC** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:21 am

Tone Deft wrote:bcr - most controls per square inch (but it's not small) and $$, NOT usb powered
uc33 - cheap, USB powered, small
trigger finger - decent drum pads, a few knobs and sliders, USB powered
novation SL25 - decent keys, drum pads suck, LCDs accompany automapping well.
bcf - where the BCR has 24 knobs the BCF has 8 motorized faders, faders are great for feeling volume levels.

go to a store and see what strikes you, lots of options out there. my advice would be to get one device at a time, use it to its fullest then see what kind of device compliments it.

lemur is $2400...

I thought the bcr was usb powered....

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:25 am

CaseyDC wrote:
Tone Deft wrote:bcr - most controls per square inch (but it's not small) and $$, NOT usb powered
uc33 - cheap, USB powered, small
trigger finger - decent drum pads, a few knobs and sliders, USB powered
novation SL25 - decent keys, drum pads suck, LCDs accompany automapping well.
bcf - where the BCR has 24 knobs the BCF has 8 motorized faders, faders are great for feeling volume levels.

go to a store and see what strikes you, lots of options out there. my advice would be to get one device at a time, use it to its fullest then see what kind of device compliments it.

lemur is $2400...

I thought the bcr was usb powered....

Too many lights (over 500 little leds, actually, and the display.) It has a built-in PSU, so it's no biggie, really.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:25 am

CaseyDC wrote:I thought the bcr was usb powered....

noperooni, not with all those LEDs.

suppose
20 LEDs per knob (there are more)
5mA to power each knob (more like 10-15mA)
that's 100 mA total per knob possible
times 32 knobs is 3.2 amps, plus the microcontroller, buttons, display and internals to power.

USB only supports 500mA max at 5V.

dru · Post by **dru** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:37 am

The UC33 looks like a good option. I currently own a Korg padKontrol and an Edirol PCR-50 keyboard.