This the first time I hear someone say the word dexterity twice in one video. Also, gotta love Justin, guys at reverb always seem so passionate about their instruments and happy to share their knowledge!
There are two free softwares that combined they can make the DAW read any USB joystick as a MIDI controller: MIDIloop and Fergo Joystick. Using that I built my own controller (foostwitch) using Amazon Arcade Buttons and a wood box. Overall project cost less then 30 dollars.
The best keyboard midi controller out right now is the Novation SL mark iii. Unfortunately not mentioned in this video. Also not mentioned were the two studio basics, the Arturia Keystep and Beatstep Pro.
Great stuff, guys. Really enjoyed it. One thing I think very much worth people considering and being mentioned is the Seaboard midi that ROLI makes. Very interesting...and you get their equator synth engine. Keep up the goodness! Justin, you’re a square cat. Like, I carved block square, not fiftyish.
My first midi keyboard was a Roland A-800 Pro, I got it for a hundred bucks like new so I couldn't pass that up. I was going to order an arturia minilab mk2 the next day until I got the Roland. It works great.
Very informative and cool presentation, thanks. To choose we have to be clear about what we want to do with music, perform, compose, loops or notes and chords, etc ... Then the choice comes clear.
Q49 is a good value, but if you play keys at all, you won't be happy with the spungy keys for long. Far better choice by miles is the Roland A49 which has some of the best synth action keys available.
Justin, After watching your videos and others, I settled on the M-Audio for about $120.00. The following link is the result of my first project with this MIDI Controller. Thanks for your input. @
Nice presentation and lots of good information. Re Maschine MK3, if you wanted MPC work flow you could use MPC Touch/MPC Live ;-) As you said these are great that almost everything can be achieved via the pads/screen on the device, with the laptop/PC tucked out of the way.
Valdis Krebs I want that one too! So many cool things! I recently purchased the Minilogue Xd and haven’t even tapped into everything it can do(being new to the world of synths and all) but I know what sounds I like and I know what type of music I’m going for. Skies the limit! 🎹
@reverb hi, great video, I love that some midi controllers have a ton of capabilities, I wish they made them with bigger pads for drummers, most midi controllers/ samplers/ and percussion pads have limited onboard/realtime functions (effects, slice, echo, pitch bend etc) compared to midi controllers that come with pads for finger drumming, keys, knobs, buttons etc. Would it be possible to create a chain between a computer with ie an akai mpk in the middle to manipulate the sounds and control the functions of say a Roland spd sx?
Touché Touché Touché. 👌🏿So glad Expressive E is getting some love! Hopefully my next purchase, however with using Ableton live’s free trial their controller/pad looks very interesting as well. Perhaps I’ll get both. 🤔😬
Hi Justin, great video. I am planning to buy a midi controller & I would need both keys & drum pads. I am thinking of either going with Arturia keylab 61 mk2 or Akai mpk2 61, as both have drum pads. But how about a midi keyboard like M-Audio Oxygen 61 paired up with an akai mpd 218 or above. Please help me with this, which would be a better option & also which one would be better keyboard in both categories. also would love if you could do a comparison on various akai mpd models if possible. I am just starting out though but have been using daw mostly FL studio & recently cubase.
Hey, thanks a lot for the info. I have a question that I can’t seem to find the answer to in any of these videos. I’m looking for a MIDI pad controller, that sends an output to a synth (Roland JP-08) to play it. The trick is I want to program the pads to play multiple notes. Like one pad triggers C and G. Is this possible without hooking it up to a computer? The Roland JP-08 has an MIDI I/O ports. Thanks man!
Awesome synth congrats. If you don't mind small keys, get an Arturia KeyStep, it's got cool arpeggiators and proper MIDI DINs. Something bigger, a Roland A49 has great feeling synth action keys and proper MIDI DINs for communicating with your Dreadbox synth. Finally, if you're an Ableton user, the Novation SL Mk3 looks awesome, and it has semi-weighted keys, and all the connections you could ever want. Pricey but nice.
Hate it when people just start their spiel at an intermediate level. I have no idea what anything of this is about. I think I'll just buy a set of bongos.
controllers can also come without piano keys.. but those are out of this topic. other midi keyboards have equalizers that can adjust specific frequencies or, put simply, low sounds like bass to high sounds like white noise.
and other midis commonly have 2 wheels on the left hand side which are responsible for bending the pitch of a sound to a different pitch and another wheel responsible for modulation which is an intermediate topic.
if youre tryna make your own music at least get a few knobs, you can put anything from your daw that is a slider onto a knob and fuck that is way more useful that you could imagine if youre trying to get different automation, imo knobs can be more important than keys at first the way i make my automation
Do any of them come with a package of sounds? Im pretty clueless and a noob about the whole MIDI controller and recording thing. Where do you get the best sounds? I have logic are they on there?
Logic has built-in sounds, but you can buy VSTs (sounds and digital instruments) from different companies like Native Instruments and Arturia, I have plenty of MIDI Keyboards, my personal favorite its the Akai Advance 49, hope this helps
Dumb question: what is the best controller to send voice change commands to 4 midi keyboards and one rack mount voice module? I deally I would like to have patches for each song or part of a song, as well as a couple dozen quick one-button clicks to switch to preferred voices for each unit.
MPK 49 pads suck. Get a Korg Pad Kontrol. NIGHT and DAY. Nuakai is not old akai which had amazing pads. electrical tape mod doesn't do it. Don't believe the hype. I've tried, but never been able to use the pads. Ever. Also, my encoders are constantly sending random data when I'm not touching them. The longevity of the Akai MPK49 is maybe 3 years before it starts to transmit garbage data.
This the first time I hear someone say the word dexterity twice in one video. Also, gotta love Justin, guys at reverb always seem so passionate about their instruments and happy to share their knowledge!
There are two free softwares that combined they can make the DAW read any USB joystick as a MIDI controller: MIDIloop and Fergo Joystick.
Using that I built my own controller (foostwitch) using Amazon Arcade Buttons and a wood box. Overall project cost less then 30 dollars.
That sounds awesome. Do you have any pictures of your setup?
Cool shit
The best keyboard midi controller out right now is the Novation SL mark iii. Unfortunately not mentioned in this video. Also not mentioned were the two studio basics, the Arturia Keystep and Beatstep Pro.
The Novation SL Mark III is a great product.
After watching the video... I still don't know, so much to choose from!
Great stuff, guys. Really enjoyed it. One thing I think very much worth people considering and being mentioned is the Seaboard midi that ROLI makes. Very interesting...and you get their equator synth engine.
Keep up the goodness! Justin, you’re a square cat. Like, I carved block square, not fiftyish.
Seaboard is a truly new instrument and experience, brilliant piece of gear.
Justin DeLay Amen, brother.
Awesome video and great overview! Much respect to Reverb!
I got my Push 2 for well under $500 on Reverb. Best piece of hardware I've ever bought.
He seems very nerdy about music... I like it.
Hi! great video, really detailed! I have started my journey last year with Music computing Kami producing station! I am so satisfied!
My first midi keyboard was a Roland A-800 Pro, I got it for a hundred bucks like new so I couldn't pass that up. I was going to order an arturia minilab mk2 the next day until I got the Roland. It works great.
Such a cool and classy review. Representing Reverb very well here. Thanks
Great review of all the gadgets. Thank you very much for sharing this!
Very informative and cool presentation, thanks. To choose we have to be clear about what we want to do with music, perform, compose, loops or notes and chords, etc ... Then the choice comes clear.
You know the feeling when you can no longer swing by your local music store? :(
Q49 is a good value, but if you play keys at all, you won't be happy with the spungy keys for long. Far better choice by miles is the Roland A49 which has some of the best synth action keys available.
i miss this guy
he really helped me a lot on the "synth part" of this channel
Justin, After watching your videos and others, I settled on the M-Audio for about $120.00. The following link is the result of my first project with this MIDI Controller. Thanks for your input. @
Nektar Panorama. That's it. The best controller for the buck for in depth control of - everything. Korg Nanokey for portability.
Great stuff :3
this is a nice informative video bro, good job man
Nice presentation and lots of good information. Re Maschine MK3, if you wanted MPC work flow you could use MPC Touch/MPC Live ;-) As you said these are great that almost everything can be achieved via the pads/screen on the device, with the laptop/PC tucked out of the way.
love your reviews
How about the Arturia Microfreak as an MPE controller, for apps like Animoog?
And you get a synth thrown in for no extra charge... 🤪
Valdis Krebs I want that one too! So many cool things! I recently purchased the Minilogue Xd and haven’t even tapped into everything it can do(being new to the world of synths and all) but I know what sounds I like and I know what type of music I’m going for. Skies the limit! 🎹
Great idea!
@reverb hi, great video, I love that some midi controllers have a ton of capabilities, I wish they made them with bigger pads for drummers, most midi controllers/ samplers/ and percussion pads have limited onboard/realtime functions (effects, slice, echo, pitch bend etc) compared to midi controllers that come with pads for finger drumming, keys, knobs, buttons etc. Would it be possible to create a chain between a computer with ie an akai mpk in the middle to manipulate the sounds and control the functions of say a Roland spd sx?
Did he just say his name was Justin Delay?
From Reverb!
Lmfao right
Touché Touché Touché. 👌🏿So glad Expressive E is getting some love! Hopefully my next purchase, however with using Ableton live’s free trial their controller/pad looks very interesting as well. Perhaps I’ll get both. 🤔😬
Thanks for the video, is that a hicky on your neck?
For me it’s midi fighter 64 its soooooo fun to play
Hi Justin, great video. I am planning to buy a midi controller & I would need both keys & drum pads. I am thinking of either going with Arturia keylab 61 mk2 or Akai mpk2 61, as both have drum pads. But how about a midi keyboard like M-Audio Oxygen 61 paired up with an akai mpd 218 or above. Please help me with this, which would be a better option & also which one would be better keyboard in both categories. also would love if you could do a comparison on various akai mpd models if possible. I am just starting out though but have been using daw mostly FL studio & recently cubase.
Where are the Arturia KeyStep and BeatStep Pro? Those are so famous... :(
Love my KeyStep
Both excellent, affordable options. I love the quick sequencer on the Keystep.
Lots of choices, is there any MIDI controller that has ribbon controller? Please help
Hey, thanks a lot for the info. I have a question that I can’t seem to find the answer to in any of these videos. I’m looking for a MIDI pad controller, that sends an output to a synth (Roland JP-08) to play it. The trick is I want to program the pads to play multiple notes. Like one pad triggers C and G. Is this possible without hooking it up to a computer? The Roland JP-08 has an MIDI I/O ports. Thanks man!
I just want full sized keys, two octaves, and great action
Do you really need an audio interface? I just want to know if midi controllers sound even only using ipad and midi keyboard. Thanks!
Same doubt...
Nice run down.
Hey there. Very cool video. What would you recommend for controlling a Dreadbox Murmux V.2?
Awesome synth congrats. If you don't mind small keys, get an Arturia KeyStep, it's got cool arpeggiators and proper MIDI DINs. Something bigger, a Roland A49 has great feeling synth action keys and proper MIDI DINs for communicating with your Dreadbox synth. Finally, if you're an Ableton user, the Novation SL Mk3 looks awesome, and it has semi-weighted keys, and all the connections you could ever want. Pricey but nice.
I always liked the mpk
"Rubber pad controllers" 11:23 nice musical phrase jeje, thanks for the content, great as usual!
Hate it when people just start their spiel at an intermediate level. I have no idea what anything of this is about. I think I'll just buy a set of bongos.
hey friend.. midi controlers are just tools to plug into a computer to make music.
the controls on the midi may include piano keys for obvious reasons. also knobs which can be assigned different functions to adjust anything you want.
the square buttons are called drum pads or percussion pads and is commonly used to trigger drum sounds.
controllers can also come without piano keys.. but those are out of this topic. other midi keyboards have equalizers that can adjust specific frequencies or, put simply, low sounds like bass to high sounds like white noise.
and other midis commonly have 2 wheels on the left hand side which are responsible for bending the pitch of a sound to a different pitch and another wheel responsible for modulation which is an intermediate topic.
Beatstep Pro!
what type of midi controller would be a good match for my moog etherwave pluss THEREMIN ?
Foot controllers would have been a nice brief mention to get your Geddy on
if youre tryna make your own music at least get a few knobs, you can put anything from your daw that is a slider onto a knob and fuck that is way more useful that you could imagine if youre trying to get different automation, imo knobs can be more important than keys at first the way i make my automation
Agreed!
Do any of them come with a package of sounds? Im pretty clueless and a noob about the whole MIDI controller and recording thing. Where do you get the best sounds? I have logic are they on there?
Logic has built-in sounds, but you can buy VSTs (sounds and digital instruments) from different companies like Native Instruments and Arturia, I have plenty of MIDI Keyboards, my personal favorite its the Akai Advance 49, hope this helps
Mpk mk 3 does
Dumb question: what is the best controller to send voice change commands to 4 midi keyboards and one rack mount voice module? I deally I would like to have patches for each song or part of a song, as well as a couple dozen quick one-button clicks to switch to preferred voices for each unit.
So none of these controllers have multi track sequencing?
No, unfortunately. :(
The Novation SL Mark III has a built-in multi-track sequencer
@@justindelay thank you
@@justindelay what about Arturia MiniLab MkII 25 Slim-Key Controller
@@BoomBang101 great controller, does not offer built in sequencing.
Do any of the keyboard controllers able to produce more of an acustica sound instead of a sympathisiser!?
I think there is only one answer: Arturia Keystep if you have a synthesizer and you dont want to spend too much money
Damn. I hate to see Ashton down on his luck like this. I guess Demi really cleaned him out, lol.
dope video
is the mpk49 better than the advance 49?
Please can you tell me witch pads are most sensitive in order. Push2 vs machine mrk3 vs sensel morph.
And neo pads please too.
Hello , what about Best midi contrôllers for strings plug ins...
I'd say whichever keybed feels best to you, plus maybe a couple knobs/faders for controlling the parameters of your strings plugins
Justin Delay from reverb 😅
You laughed after the ‘trap remark’, didn’t you? 🤔
the akai mpk49 is $400
no love for Artiphon's instrument 1?
Really innovative and surprisingly expressive/versatile!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
1:36 software???
Ableton i guess
NIce hickey
or is that a cut?
arturia keystep with poly aftertouch......
I just uploaded a video of my favorite Ableton Controller!
no u didnt
MPK 49 pads suck. Get a Korg Pad Kontrol. NIGHT and DAY. Nuakai is not old akai which had amazing pads. electrical tape mod doesn't do it. Don't believe the hype. I've tried, but never been able to use the pads. Ever. Also, my encoders are constantly sending random data when I'm not touching them. The longevity of the Akai MPK49 is maybe 3 years before it starts to transmit garbage data.
We know this guy's favorite effect 😂
Chorus probably
None, just buy a cheap fucking synth lmao
First