Best Midi Controller for Under £300?

David · Post by **David** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 4:04 pm

I would like to get a midi controller to help me manipulate all those Pulsar parameters.
I only have £300 to spend (sorry I don't know what that is in Euros or dollar value - this is just pure ignorance and I appologise).
I have had a look at Kenntons Control Freek and Gmedia PhatBoy but I'm sure that I could get a lot more controller knobs and maybee a trigger input for about that price.

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I didn't know if this query should be placed under this topic heading but I couldn't find a better place.

marcuspocus · Post by **marcuspocus** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 6:11 pm

That a good close look at http://www.ucapps.de, it's alot easier than it look like!

djody · Post by **djody** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 6:28 pm

for a bit more you could get an second hand acces virus A ( or something ), then you have cool sound and a lot of knobs. just a thought

[ This Message was edited by: djody on 2002-02-12 18:29 ]

Michu · Post by **Michu** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 10:30 pm

you can also take a look at Doepfer. i am thinking about Pocket Fader.
if you cannot afford Virus you could think about Yamaha CS1x. sound sucks bad, but you get 6 knobs, touch pad and a keyboard attached to it. second hand it should be easily under 300 squid.

[ This Message was edited by: Michu on 2002-02-12 22:31 ]

marcuspocus · Post by **marcuspocus** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 5:16 am

With a Midibox Plus (see my post 3 message UP), you get 16 faders, 8 triggers, for 100$us

[ This Message was edited by: marcuspocus on 2002-02-13 05:16 ]

subhuman · Post by **subhuman** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 9:49 am

I think this one is pretty cool and compact, besides being cheap (less than $150 street!)

<img src=http://www.midiman.com/products/midiman ... y8_med.jpg>

David · Post by **David** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 12:08 pm

marcuspocus, I followed your link but I'm not sure that I'm up to the soldering requirmed to build this project (what do you mean it is easier than it looks

) although it would be a nice idea, and for the money to go for the midibox64 version (just to be greedy). If this constructor offered 'ready builds' then I would get one straight away.

But this is the right sort of midi controller I was looking for.
Djody - The Doepfer Pocket looks great but reading their bumpf I'm left wondering which is better exact value controllers or endless inc/dec controllers.

Incase anyone is not sure an exact value controllers send the exact value of the dials position to the software/device
whereas an inc/dec controller does not "know" the absolute values of the parameters but transmits only inc/dec data to the device/software.
The inc/dec controller is supposed to produce smoother contoller changes but requires data feedback.
I'm still don't know which is the best

Does Pulsar enable data feedback

[ This Message was edited by: Marlin Spike on 2002-02-13 12:50 ]

maket · Post by **maket** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 4:35 pm

I'm asking to"Subhuman":I want this cool keyboard! Were to find???

RedSun · Post by **RedSun** » Wed Feb 13, 2002 6:38 pm

Easy! It's another great product from our friends at Midiman.

<a href="http://www.midiman.com/products/midiman ... en8.php</a>

RedSun .:.

borg · Post by **borg** » Thu Feb 14, 2002 5:11 am

i was really excited 'bout the doepfer's endless controller, but lucky me, i informed myself well enough not to by it, because this feature doesn't seem to work with pulsar. got the word from doepfer themselves, so.
i've seen atomics infamous peavy pc1600 this weekend, and it's a nice machine which does a bit the same as endless control when using 'merge function' (faders/knobs start with a relative value, depending on the on screen values).

witchstar · Post by **witchstar** » Thu Feb 14, 2002 6:32 am

Last I checked, the Kenton Control Freak Live is under 300 quid, including VAT if you're in the UK. Also, it's definitely one of the higher-end MIDI boxes, both quality- and feature-wise (even sends MIDI clock!).
http://www.kenton.co.uk

Mark

at0m · Post by **at0m** » Thu Feb 14, 2002 7:10 am

http://www.peavey.com: Pc1600x has a very wide range of control options. It's update (corrected!!) function automatically adapts fader values to match incoming CC#. This plays like a continuous controller. No more fader jumps

Also check the presets I uploaded here (and to http://www.defectiverecords.com ) to remote control Pulsar environment with the Pc1600x.

[ This Message was edited by: atomic on 2002-02-20 01:22 ]

[ This Message was edited by: at0mic on 2002-07-19 05:26 ]

pazpatu · Post by **pazpatu** » Thu Feb 14, 2002 12:45 pm

someone tried the configuration doepfer pocket dial + pulsar ?
on their "list of compatible devices and programs for POCKET DIAL", doepfer say that feedback is possible within pulsar...
false information ?
@#uk

marcuspocus · Post by **marcuspocus** » Thu Feb 14, 2002 7:33 pm

I think pocket dial is compatible with pulsar, but not drewbank... It's just not the same thing...

David · Post by **David** » Fri Feb 15, 2002 11:49 am

Thanks for you responses. I am just reading up on each device to see which is best, they all look v.interesting. When I finally settle on one I will try and give an overview as to why I chose that particular controller and perhaps a more detailed review when it is all plugged in and doing its job. Hopefully within the next fortnight.

David · Post by **David** » Tue Feb 19, 2002 5:59 pm

Well after sizing up all the functions of each controller I decided to plump for the MidiBox64 fom http://www.ucapps.de
The main reasons were
3 potentiometer settings
a) absolute
b) relative
c) parallax
64 control knobs consisting of any combination of knobs, switches, buttons and faders in any layout you wish
as many banksticks as you can afford each capable of storing 16 different setups
plenty of scope for development in both hardware and software
all for the price of about E130
Now you can't say fairer than that

the only drawbacks are that you have to learn to solder and dedicate time to build it. But with such an end result I don't consider these any real drawback

Thanks to marcuspocus for this suggestion.

marcuspocus · Post by **marcuspocus** » Tue Feb 19, 2002 8:43 pm

Welcome to the freakin'geek club man !!

mano · Post by **mano** » Tue Feb 19, 2002 9:48 pm

On 2002-02-19 20:43, marcuspocus wrote:
Welcome to the freakin'geek club man !!

ahah

I think it'd be fun to try one day

David · Post by **David** » Wed Feb 20, 2002 10:45 am

Home, Sweet Home

Neutron · Post by **Neutron** » Thu Feb 21, 2002 7:58 am

On 2002-02-12 18:11, marcuspocus wrote:
That a good close look at http://www.ucapps.de, it's alot easier than it look like!

did you build one of those? it looks like a cool project. The circuit is so simple i can hardly believe it!

[ This Message was edited by: defex on 2002-02-21 08:02 ]