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Controllers with pads


joeClockwork

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I've decided that I've had enough of moving audio regions around with a fucking mouse to make beats, so I've been looking at USB midi controllers to use with Logic X.

 

Main requirements are bashing out tracks, possibly taking out on the road and just general offline jamming. Don't reeeeeally want to go over £150 if I can help it.

 

Any recommendations? I've been looking at the Akai MPD226, which looks a bit tasty. Anyone ever used one of these? If so, any gripes? I seem to remember people saying that Akai have gone to shit since InMusic took over.

 

Thanks in adv.

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I've decided that I've had enough of moving audio regions around with a fucking mouse to make beats

Hurrah !

 

Death to the computer mouse !

 

Sorry, never used any Akai kit except for rack samplers so can't recommend stuff.

 

Fuck it.....just get a SP -404 (or two preferably) a mini disc recorder,dust off the tape deck and you'll be good to go my dude !!.... :p :p

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MPD226 looks like a dope bit of kit but Ive got no experience using it... Joe have you got an iPad? the Logic remote app by Apple looks like a really good utility tool for ditching the mouse.

 

No mate, unfortunately I haven't. My wife has but I'm not sure how keen she'll be on me hijacking it :)

 

At this rate I'm thinking I might just cop an MPD226 on pay day, unless anyone chimes with any advice before then.

 

Cheers

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Akai must have a have a decent template for MPD226 logic control, for its price tag I can't think of any better for what your after.

Upon suggesting logic remote to you Ive jus installed the iPhone version which also controls GarageBand (what I currently use for linear audio cut&paste edits as Maschine is a nightmare for that stuff), iPhone version of logic remote only covers % of the iPad app features but for what Im using Garageband for the iPhone app seems really dope in the short play Ive had, total control of loop cycles, project transport controls etc... basically all the shit I now don't have to use the mouse for.

However Im not gonna bum apple to hard..... my 4th gen iPad jus misses out on ios11 which means know logic remote, fuckers!

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Akai must have a have a decent template for MPD226 logic control, for its price tag I can't think of any better for what your after.

 

Upon suggesting logic remote to you Ive jus installed the iPhone version which also controls GarageBand (what I currently use for linear audio cut&paste edits as Maschine is a nightmare for that stuff), iPhone version of logic remote only covers % of the iPad app features but for what Im using Garageband for the iPhone app seems really dope in the short play Ive had, total control of loop cycles, project transport controls etc... basically all the shit I now don't have to use the mouse for.

 

However Im not gonna bum apple to hard..... my 4th gen iPad jus misses out on ios11 which means know logic remote, fuckers!

 

Damn. Apple are bastards like that.

 

@Rocky: sold - I've been reading up and watching some vids. Looks like it does all I need.

 

Cheers all.

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I use an Akai APD but the MPD is tight and has more of a MPC feel which is sounds like is what youre looking for.

 

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm after. Moving audio regions around with a mouse is the most frustrating way to make music. It's why I stopped making beats and stuck to scratch based music.

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Moving audio regions around with a mouse is the most frustrating way to make music.

 

How people have the patience to be able to do this is beyond me in the first place.

 

Squashy fat drum pads or even a midi keyboard controller to make stuff with at the very least ..but a mouse ? no fucking chance ,fuck that.

 

Fair play to anyone who can tho but its not for me personally,I have tried it once for some edits I wanted to make of some old jam tracks I'd recorded but I found the whole process so tedious and it just completely did my head in over the sheer amount of time it took to do really simple shit that would take 30 seconds to do with a sampler,some pads or a keyboard.

 

Definitely not for me i'm afraid

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Try retiming a 16 track live drum recording without keyboard and mouse, it definitely has its uses.

 

Yeah, I'll still be doing this. Any hits that don't land where I want them can be tidied up with the mouse.

 

My current workflow is:

 

  • Sample into Logic from vinyl
  • Spend ages getting the loop running in time
  • Chop up the audio and nudge any bits that don't fall on the drums
  • Envelope all the audio regions so there's no clipping
  • Mix and arrange
  • Decide that it sounds crap and give up.

 

It's fucking miserable. It's actually less hassle to make scratch music, which is notoriously fiddly.

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Try retiming a 16 track live drum recording without keyboard and mouse, it definitely has its uses.

 

Yeah, I'll still be doing this. Any hits that don't land where I want them can be tidied up with the mouse.

 

My current workflow is:

 

  • Sample into Logic from vinyl
  • Spend ages getting the loop running in time
  • Chop up the audio and nudge any bits that don't fall on the drums
  • Envelope all the audio regions so there's no clipping
  • Mix and arrange
  • Decide that it sounds crap and give up.

 

It's fucking miserable. It's actually less hassle to make scratch music, which is notoriously fiddly.

 

 

 

Have you tried Ableton Live? It's much easier to do most of that than in Logic IMO, especially looping, chopping, enveloping. Some people really don't get on with it but might be worth a go on the demo to see if you like it.

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Try retiming a 16 track live drum recording without keyboard and mouse, it definitely has its uses.

 

Yeah, I'll still be doing this. Any hits that don't land where I want them can be tidied up with the mouse.

 

My current workflow is:

 

  • Sample into Logic from vinyl
  • Spend ages getting the loop running in time
  • Chop up the audio and nudge any bits that don't fall on the drums
  • Envelope all the audio regions so there's no clipping
  • Mix and arrange
  • Decide that it sounds crap and give up.

 

It's fucking miserable. It's actually less hassle to make scratch music, which is notoriously fiddly.

 

 

 

Have you tried Ableton Live? It's much easier to do most of that than in Logic IMO, especially looping, chopping, enveloping. Some people really don't get on with it but might be worth a go on the demo to see if you like it.

 

 

I have considered it before but there are two things stopping me:

 

1. Having to learn a new DAW (this would be my third)

2. Buying a new DAW

 

If time and money weren't an issue I would probably switch.

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Yeah, that's fair enough man. I actually started on Ableton Live really briefly, then went to Cubase, then Logic, then back to Ableton, at first because I was jamming a lot with mates and Logic was an absolute fucker to have multiple midi controllers across multiple channels, then just found Live so much easier to do what you've listed and more and haven't looked back. Maybe if you're still finding Logic a ball ache in a couple of months fink abaaaaat it ;)

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Same here; I started on Cubase then went to Logic, on bad advice.

 

I find Logic quite user unfriendly, I must admit. Version X is an improvement on 9 though, which was really frustrating.

 

I mostly use it for multi tracking mixes, which is fine. I don't use multiple controllers so that problem shouldn't really affect me.

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Maschine (as a plug-in in logic possibly too, either all the way through or just for mix) would be another way - it doesnt get much more hands on than maschine when it comes to chopping up beats. I suppose theres also MPC studio/renaissance too. A bit over budget but maschine 2 or mpc studio are pretty low price esp second hand.

 

Also, exs24 is definitely usable especially when you shortcut some stuff - easier and quicker than audio regions for sure

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