I’m looking to add a grid controller to my setup to compensate for my lack of keyboard chops.
I’m looking at a standalone solution, so even though Push 2 ticks some boxes, it’s out as it would required Live at all times.
I’m leaning towards an 8x8 grid, but consider other options.
Ideally it has midi out on midi, not just usb, but I can compromise on this.
Note mode, but should also have an isomorphic layout, so all notes/scales are always available, only fingering changes.
So it seems my options are:
Launchpad Pro;
Novation Circuit;
Artiphon (Not sure about this one);
Linnstrument (out of budget);
Anyone has any suggestions or can recommend something?
For reference, my setup would be:
Grid controller -> MPC LIve (which has a grid/chord modes but badly implemented and only 16 pads) -> Ipad synths or A4.
Axis 49 is cool, I think it’s discontinued but you can find em on eBay and the likes. If you’ve got an iPad you can use lemur as a harmonic table, it’s kind of a nice way to use the touch screen cause you can glide between notes
BSP is a good option, agreed. You get the 2 x 8 row of pads and 2 x 8 row of knobs, plus a powerful sequencer with a few tricks up its sleeve. If you have any external gear, it’s a no-brainer.
Just as a notion … even on a grid-controller with various scales, we have to exercise develop our chops. Even on an isomorphic keyboard only the transposition is much easier. One fingering for all keys … yes … but that has to be exercised as well.
If you can play a keyboard and only have difficulties to play in different keys … you can go with a decent midi keyboard controller, which allows to switch the basic key easily. Just keep playing in, let’s say, C-maj and switch the base note to C#-maj. In reality this would be an entire different fingering, but you keep on playing in C.
AFAIK even such controllers like Push require this kind of switching the “key”
Axis seems interesting and I looked into it for a while, but never managed to find one.
Beatstep pro is not on my list as it has too little pads and I’m sorted on the sequencer side.
I know, but for some reasons it feels mentally awkward to just play on the C major scale on a piano layout if I know I’m playing in a F minor. It feels simpler on a grid layout as there’s a larger level of abstraction.
Might not make sense, but with the little piano practice I did, playing a different scale on a C major feels somehow wrong.
I tried the GridInstrument app and works really nicely, I was really happy with the musical results and even though I still haven’t figured out the shapes for chords other than a minor triad, I felt at home straight away.
Too bad the cold glass screen feels horrible for playing, works great for other purposes, but not playing.
Launchpad Pro is great. It does both USB and Din Midi. Changing scales is easy and it’s very intuitive for non-keyboard players like me. It is also much smaller than a regular keyboard would be. Plus it does poly aftertouch. It is also great for Ableton and M4L.
It ticks a lot of boxes for me personally. Also the open source aspect of it is great, although not a lot of projects seem to have come up so far. But in theory it can be a standalone sequencer too.
Okay, but I am a little surprised that you say this … because with an isomorphic keyboard or even a grid controller you just do this … playing the same fingerings
I have played a on my Push sometimes, if little space is left on the desk. But either I play in chromatic mode, then it’s quite the same as on a traditional black-and-white keyboard, or I use the scale mode and have to switch between keys anyway …
Maybe I take it more easy, because playing means often not thinking about the keys I am in, but just listenening … … like on a guitar. So maybe Linnstrument could be your best friend, technically speaking.
In what way is it badly implemented? I used to own a Launchpad Pro (which is great), but I got rid of it shortly after Maschine added scales since 16 pads turned out to be just fine for me.
It’s on a separate page, so if you want your pads to stick to something like A minor, you need to click on the menu button, press the pad perform button on the touch screen, which in theory is okay, but this mode only remains active if you are in the pad perform mode, so you can’t tweak your sound while playing on a scale, useless.
I can follow your idea and wouldn’t call this a “block”. It’s maybe only to be familiar or unfamiliar with something and for creating music, this counts much.
