johnchop

Listening to these now. He did a talk and improv with Ravi Coltrane at the local U and that stuff just whooshed way over my head at high velocity. These pieces are more accessible for my small brain.

Yep very much a Waves plugin chainer, with the added ability to shift processing to a Waves Soundgrid server. Plugin UI operated locally but DSP is handled by the server.

Haven't found a compelling need for Max for Live yet.

Just intalled this morning although haven't tried the new StudioRack. The new StudioGrid UI is certainly easier on the eyeballs. My SoundGrid D I/O required a firmware update but that was all detected and performed automatically. The only thing that wasn't quite right was the patching--the I/O outputs weren't automatically tied to the DAW output channels --but whether it was user error or something else, I don't know. The other thing I noticed was fewer values for network buffers. Set mine to fastest possible and latency is fine... virtual instruments as playable as ever at 128 sample buffer.

intro has very limited track count (16), so I'd say consider Standard at least. In fact, I'd say only Standard, especially with the plugins you have. You can upgrade to suite later, however, I'll note that as someone who upgraded to Suite and also has a crapton of other instrument and effects plugins, I regret it. You will get a TON of use out of Standard. See https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/ -John

D1=RH3 which I always found to be a clunky action. Current contenders, as I think you all have talked me out of a dedicated controller: FP10 (thanks Fleer) which does NOT have the RD2000 action... the PHA4 may be more agreeable. I do love the Ivory Feel on this series. P121 - because it"s smaller and may be 'just right' ES110 - because I had an ES6 which was fine, and I can deal with the lack of USB MIDI if this is the best option (I"ve got a mio2 interface) Dang, I"m Goldilocks. (The SL73 Studio hits a lot of the requirements but I remain wary of the TP100. Will think on it.)

Thanks Mike. Yeah I"m realizing that"s where the discussion keeps going. And I think I"ll have an easier time lying hands on the low end DPs at a local shop compared to a dedicated controller.

Possibly. I don"t live in a gear-rich location but could stomach a drive to ATL should that be necessary.

I"ve tried the PX1000... actually ranked just below the Roland action for me, but it sure does a lot of things right for being so small. The ES110 lacks the USB MIDI but could otherwise work. This may sound odd, but I had a hard time getting my ES6 to gel as a controller, even with my low-latency setup. That board sometimes lagged triggering its own internal sounds, especially with a lot of simultaneous notes. Perhaps it was specific to my board. Kawai does make a great action though. Anyway, this thread has made me pause on leaping into the Hammer 88. I really don"t want to go through the hassle of a return, so I"ll just take my time and get more hands on.

Understood about the TP40, and yes, both SL studio versions have the TP100.

Correction... not the fp30. Might be thinking of an fp4.

Jelmerfudd: Pitch and mod are a big plus, but main drivers are weight and relatively light action. I"ve got other widgets for software control, and everything is software, so I don"t need any controller functions. Aellison: interesting! I"ve seen a number of opinions that the m-audio is 'light' compared to other actions, but there you go. I do need to give the RD88 a go. It"s way more than I need, a bit more than I want to spend, and I"m not too hopeful about the action, but I may check it out regardless. I"m following the RD88 thread here with interest. I think my favorite Roland weighted action was on the FP..30? Some model from 3-4 years ago. For me, played like buttah. I also recall the TP40 on the Kurz PC3X when I demo"ed that. I doubt I can lay hands on the SL88 grand, but if it"s in a similar league, it"s tempting.

Yeah that AKAI is also 50+ pounds I believe. Zoiks. The A88 could be worth a look. Weight isn"t bad (~35 lbs). I"m concerned the current Roland PHA4 action would blow up my hands though. Appreciate any other comments/thoughts.

Has anyone out there laid hands on the M-Audio Hammer 88? I've seen the Woody's Piano Shack review. The only concern I heard there was the slightly sharp key edges that might make glissandos a bit uncomfortable. The Hammer 88 has been out a while, so I'm curious about issues after long-term use. I know M-Audio has a rep for somewhat cheap construction, but I have a CTRL49 controller that is serving me very well for what I paid. For perspective: I've been selling off old gear that wasn't really working for me. I'm now searching for a sub-$1K weighted controller/DP with the following: - Has USB MIDI out - 88 or 76 keys - Relatively light action. My hands just aren't that strong at this point, and I want to get in and play, not fight. The newer Roland actions I've tried (RD2000) are too ponderous, and the TP/100 variants feel a bit mushy (e.g. SL Studio). Something along the lines of the MODX8 and Kawai ES feel is fine. - This is primarily for piano/EP control. The CTRL49 works for synths and anything involving aftertouch expression. I realize there are a ton of compromises when you head south of $1,500, but I think my needs are fairly simple. Thanks all! -John

Noice. For a (reasonable) paid option, the Larry Hopkins DX7 preset bank is exceptional: https://www.arturia.com/stories/larry-hopkins

Good find! I have an 18810 which doesn't go anywhere, but man this would have been a nice option.

I would assume for organ. And it looks hot!

The 3000 ticks a ton of boxes for me. Can't wait to get my hands on one. Feel is key, and if there's some approximation of escapement so that keys repeat without full travel, all the better. More often than not I'd be controlling virtual keys with it, but the built-in patches sound like they'd be more than adequate for any live situation I'd find myself in.

Snagged Dune 2 on sale just before this came out. It can sound absolutely HUGE and punchy. Dune 3 sounds even better to my ears. I'll be upgrading as soon as I'm out of the end-of-year spend frenzy. As for Pigments, I had a brief encounter with the demo last night. The visual feedback on what's modifying what and how much? Super cool. Soundwise, it's not bringing anything to the table that I don't already have (in spades), but that's me.

Im using my CTRL49 to select tracks, adjust levels, and control start/stop. I looked at the Akai as well, but I dont need more than what Ive got right now. The new Presonus Faderports are even slicker.

I like this theory. Did Studiologic support come back with anything? BTW, I'd suggest MIDI Monitor as another option for sorting out MIDI gremlins.

Free trials are the way to go, although its not always an option (Spectrasonics, many Kontakt libraries.) I own too much stuff, and were I doing it all over, Id go a la carte. You can narrow the field a bit: Do you want to be able play any kind of sound for any situation? Do you hate hardware dongles for licenses? How much programming do you do? Preset tweaks or deep synth adventures? Does it need to cut in a live setting? Does it work well in your host program of choice? Btw, if youre a dedicated Mac person using Mainstage, Id ask what falls short in Mainstages delivered instruments before branching out.

Not purchased, but I just won this little beast in a contest! (From a midwestern retailer that shares a name with boxed mac 'n cheese) Different sonic character from my Moog LP... sort of "clean", with less warm fuzziness around the edges, but NOT thin, buzzy, or piercing. I like it! Solid build and stupid easy to dial in good bass sounds. Can also get into "weird" territory with little effort.

wut

Man, those Spectrasonics Keyscape vids are showcasing some interesting cats. Like Rob Araujo: https://robaraujo.bandcamp.com/album/hybrid-eyes -John