Hi there!
I stumbled on this website/channel on YouTube and i really liked the videos about the different controllers. But it left me with the question what is the right controller for me?
So I want to start tp learning finger drumming but I have no clue which midi controller I should choose.
What do I want to do with it?
- I want to use it with addictive drums 2
- program drums in Reaper
It is good to know that I play black metal, so basically I only want to program drums first and foremost. Maybe I also want to use it to make soundscapes with it but that would be a nice bonus.
I have a few controllers in mind:
Akai mpd218: looks like the right toy for me, but Robert Mathis explains in his video that the build quality isn’t great. This video is already a few years old so I wonder is this still the case? I also don’t exactly know th
at the problem is with the MPD218
Presonus Atom: is an option but doesn’t appeal to me for some reason
Maschine mikro mk3: looks nice but i am afraid that it is more than I ever need and it is also 3 times more expensive than the MPD218.
Nektar aura: the pad sensitivity should be great on this thing but other then that, the same argument of mikro also applies to the Aura
Bottom line i don’t have a clue. In the next few months I hope to have some more time on my hands that where I want to start learning finger drumming.
I hope some one can help me.
Thx
1 Like
Hi, I can remember being in exactly the same place as you when I started. I am sure that you will get a lot of replies to this question. At the end of the day, you will get what you pay for in terms of the build quality of the controller. I was also looking at the Akia controllers the MPD 218 and the next one up too, but at the time I was struggling to find a UK supplier with stock at the right price, I ended up buying a NI Machine Mikro Mk3.
There are plus and minuses for Machine gear, if you want to use the full functionality of the device you generally have to use it with NI’s DAW that will come with it as part of the extensive software downloads. Like you, that is not a lot of good to me as I use Ableton Live and don’t really want to start learning another platform. Akia also now have a type of DAW too which you can download for free so that you can use their software inside it.
I have been thinking that I might have better off with a Launchpad Pro Mk3 or Launchpad X as that would double as a controller for Ableton, not sure how it works in Reaper, and it would allow me to program 8 x 8 drum kits. The Launchpad do have smaller buttons though, so mistakes could be made often.
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you could go with the Atom but I am sure that you will here issues of double tapping on those devices but until you try one for yourself, your touch may not cause any double tapping. At the other end of the range the Nektar Aura seems to be very good and each button is individually programmable which is the positive side, the down side is that it takes time to sit and programme it. It appears quite technical. The pads on the Machine Mikro Mk3 are very good, feel solid and virtually no double tapping, but for finger drumming or use with Ableton I can only use it in Midi Mode which wipes out almost all the additional functions apart from the pads. I would guess it would be similar in Reaper, so do you want to spend that kind of money to get the same functionality as an Akia MPD218?
My best advice is to not get into to much of the technical stuff in the early stages and buy something that you can afford. You can always upgrade later. I hope this helps.
IC
2 Likes
There is a way to maybe make the mpd218 more responsive when it’s not (very likely youll get a crappy unit that does not trigger on some of your hits).
Check out the customer review on this page titled “Electrical Tape is Your Friend”
One important thing to keep in mind here is that you should NEVER put tape or anything else between the pad sensor sheet and the pad sensors.That will break the controller.
The three layers are basically: >> Rubber pads >> Pad sensor sheet >> Circuitboard with pad sensors
Only mess around in the area between the Rubber pads and the pad sensor sheet.
2 Likes
Thx for all the comments so far.
I think I will go for the MPD218 (maybe the MDP226 if it works with reaper as I want it to).
But I’m still also looking at the Maschine Makro, I think I need to do some digging and go to a music store.
1 Like