Yeah, sorry, totally got that mixed up. In all the reviews I’ve read it was said that one con of the white model was the missing USB connectivity. So I assumed that meant the Micro USB was just there for charging.
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No need to generalize though 
Fair enough yeah, that is definitely poor wording from whoever was reviewing the units. 50 has the USB to device option as well whilst the 30 only has USB to host.
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Ah 180,- I thought I saw someone mentioning double that.
The one with the additional features (FGDP-50) is about 300€, but the simpler one is 180 yeah. Personally I don’t think the additional features are all that useful, but that probably depends on what you want from something like this.
Im amazed people go to university to be taught finger drumming.
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He is at BIMM Institute, part of a consortium which also includes BAMM Institute and BOUMM Institute.
I wanted to see the long-haired guitar guy on PMTV try it. But of course they cut that part out.
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What products would you compare this with?
not half as useful as roman history or political science, but almost 
It seems to do nothing special other than having a different layout with the pads so could basically compare it to anything with pads I guess?
Any examples? I’m having trouble finding anything comparable other than midi controllers which would require separate hardware or laptop for sounds.
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Hooking up any pad controller to your phone (something you probably always have with you) and you got a million apps that can do a million different things with another million different sounds to finger drum for a lifetime. It’s faster, offers more, easier with transfer building kits bringing it into your DAW on the computer, smaller, cheaper etc.
In short: Are the included internal sounds (and pad layout) really a big selling point when it doesn’t offer much more?
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I have to admit, I’m intrigued by this.
However, as someone who gigs, I have but one criticism about the design…
Ergonomic though it might be, and certainly efficient, if you take ALL the athleticism out of finger drumming (as on larger MPC pads, for example), you lose the performance aesthetic.
Hence why I wouldn’t use the QWERTY keyboard on my laptop to play drum samples in Bitwig onstage.
Anyway, just something to think about.
Cheers!
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If someone is interested in finger drumming, then just any pads controller with just any mobile app is likely to cause more frustration than joy for a small price difference.
For this discussion to be meaningful, it would be useful to have specific alternatives. Which pad controller with which mobile app. Then we can compare features and how much would it cost. I actually find the price of the 30 hard to beat, and even the 50.
And if we talk about standalone… is there anything at all that is not double the price or more, double the bulk or more?
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yeah, I specifically stated ‘other than a midi controller’. There is the Roland HDP-20 but its much larger and about $800 more than this.
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Ok what about a Novation Launchpad (if you want more pads) or Akai MPD (when you want some knobs as well)?
App: GarageBand? or Logic Pro if you got an iPad?
I was going to order but then grabbed my old launchpad mk2 to see if i even like finger drumming and now i’m bangin beats in Ableton. Basically I was intrigued about the dimensions and portability but I guess I don’t need it.
BTW someone mentioned lack of choke groups somewhere, is this real information?
This is something I absolutely don’t need but I really want 
Seems like a lot of fun and sounds good. Lack of midi ports is a bummer for integrating with other hardware gear, but I guess it’s more meant to be a standalone device to just turn on and play. Especially cheaper model, which interests me the most.
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Ok, let’s see:
- Launchpad Mini 99€ but those pads aren’t pressure sensitive (huge drawback). Next step is Launchpad X, 159€.
- You will need a USB cable adapter. Add 15-20€.
- You will probably need to be close to a power plug (defeating the point of using a mobile phone instead of a laptop) or then you’ll need a power bank. If the phone runs at all in this setup without power source, it won’t be long before battery is empty, no finger drumming and not usable phone.
GarageBand or any other mobile app. You probably will use 4x4 pads, the rest of the surface will be there doing nothing. Unless you take the time to assign pads. I also wonder how good these apps are with multi-samples for different pressure levels.
I don’t think all this it’s worth the hassle for the main use case of these devices: turn on and start finger drumming on high quality pads wherever you are with a wide collection of drum kits.
(Unless you already have the Launchpad, your interest in finger drumming is just mild, and you feel adventurous, then sure.)
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The yamaha sample engine in the modx is sufficient and very good for this kind of product but in demos, I don’t find the living and realistic side of the kits, which on the modx can sound very airy and realistic.
So my question, is there polyphony on each pad?
I have the impression that each snare cancels the other (this is surely an error on my part). But that would explain the difference to my ears in the feeling.
I might be wrong, but the demo guy looks very very good but it sounds very straight like the envelopes cut off after each subsequent attack or choke pad .
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