New Setup / Midi Controller without keys ??

[Dextroze]

Hello,

 

I was using a PC since 3 years, and finally, I'm a bit digsuted with it and I bought on occasion a MacBook Pro.

I own the RD-800 but since I don't have a car (I live in Paris), I can't (yet) use it that much, especially on rehearsals.

So one week ago I bought the VR-09, but that was before my PC went down...

So know I really hesitate because I will have this killer mac but the midi implementation in the VR-09 is very bad, as I heard.

 

Maybe that would be a better idea to send it back and get for example the MPK261, using Mainstage to control virtual instruments etc.

Or should I keep the VR-09 and get a midi controller without keys ?

 

 

Thanks guys as always... !!

 

PS : does someone know how good/bad is the keybed of the MPK261 compared to the VR-09, knowing that one day I'll be able to bring my RD-800 !

[AnotherScott]

If ideally you'd like a lightweight keyboard that you can use with Mainstage (which is where the VR-09's MIDI capabilities fall short), but that also has sounds built in for times you don't want to bother with the computer (i.e. the benefit of the VR-09 in the first place), you could consider replacing the VR-09 with the Casio XW-P1.

 

The VR-09 and XW-P1 are both lightweight boards with a combination of clonewheel organ, VA synth, and rompler sounds. I think consensus is that the Roland has the better piano/organ/rompler sounds, but that becomes less important if the built-in sounds are kind of only "backup" (i.e. you'll be using Mainstage when you need your best sounds). In many ways, the Casio is more flexible, in terms of things like split/layer functionality, on-board synth editing, and yes, MIDI controller capability. Unlike the Roland, the 9 sliders send MIDI CC, allowing you to use them as drawbars for something like a Mainstage organ, and it also has knobs whose MIDI functionality you can customize. The Casio is designed as a 4-zone controller. It does not have all the controller capability of something like the MPK261, but it has more than the Roland, and if it has enough for you, it does leave you with the virtue of also being able to use it with no additional sound source.

[Dextroze]

Hum that would be a great idea, but in France I don't find retailers or ocasions :'(

 

[Stokely]

I guess I wonder just how bad the midi is on the VR09--I assume you mean perhaps the faders not sending cc messages? It has to do basic midi stuff.

 

I was using an old Studiologic controller for a while with a band, that is about as barebones as it gets. To mess with my organ plugin I was using I bought a little Korg controller, it was around $30 at the time. It has sliders, buttons and knobs and is so light and small I velcroed it to the controller (or a breeze might have picked it up/I touch it and knock it down). I never got that far with controlling mainstage though; I chickened out and went all hardware

[Dextroze]

Hehe I was going to go threw the hardware route too... Then my PC went down so I see it as a sign... Not especially logical but I feel it that way !

That mean that I can get some kind of little external controller Novation Launch Control and use it with the VR-09 threw a Daw or Mainstage ?

That would be a nice solution because I'm kind of sad returning back the VR-09... Only got it one week !!

[Stokely]

Personally I would want a backup to the computer at the least. For what I play (classic rock) the VR-09 would be just about ideal as a backup, since it has a decent organ. Not sure in your case. Not the greatest action but it's light.

 

Ironically though even hardware isn't foolproof. I had one keyboard refuse to boot up and kept showing what looked like Egyptian heiroglyphs...now it seems fine but I'm super nervous about it doing that again. I used stage power that gig, usually I get power from our bass player's Furman; perhaps coincidence but who knows. Anything can fail, at any time...so I'll always try to have a backup sound source and keys. Same goes for cables and as a band we have extra mics and power cables just in case.

[Dextroze]

Personally I would want a backup to the computer at the least. For what I play (classic rock) the VR-09 would be just about ideal as a backup, since it has a decent organ. Not sure in your case. Not the greatest action but it's light.

 

Ironically though even hardware isn't foolproof. I had one keyboard refuse to boot up and kept showing what looked like Egyptian heiroglyphs...now it seems fine but I'm super nervous about it doing that again. I used stage power that gig, usually I get power from our bass player's Furman; perhaps coincidence but who knows. Anything can fail, at any time...so I'll always try to have a backup sound source and keys. Same goes for cables and as a band we have extra mics and power cables just in case.

 

Ahaha

So it is possible (and easy ?) to use the VR-09 with an external controller for effects etc for Mainstage or Live ?

 

Thank you man for the answers

[Dextroze]

Can you split the VR-09 like crazy using Mainstage and the external controller for example ?

[Dextroze]

I need your help because honestly don't know if it is possible to do it.

Can I use the external controller on my VR-09, threw Mainstage or Live, and so, avoid the bad MIDI implementation of the VR-09 ? And so being able to do splits, effects, etc ?

[Stokely]

I'm not really sure what you mean by "effects etc"--I assume sound effects?-- or what you want with a split. Do you mean play some of of the sounds from VR09 at the same time as the mainstage ones? When I said "backup" before I just thought that you would use the Roland as a controller, but have the sounds ready to go in case the computer had an issue. Also not sure exactly what the "bad MIDI implementation" refers to...

 

I guess for me to help I need more info on what you are trying to do with mainstage, perhaps with an example (which sounds for one song etc)

 

I mean I would think it's possible to connect the VR09 to the mac (usb) and just play sounds from mainstage. If that is the actual problem--the usb--then perhaps a midi-to-usb (assuming the Roland has midi!) would fix that.

 

[Dextroze]

Yes it's true it must hard to help since I don't really know what I'm talking about !!!

I would like to be able to use the VR-09 as a midi-controller, without the sounds of the VR-09 but softwares like Mainstage, Keyscape if I buy it.

But I heard the midi implentation was bad, but as you said... To what point ? I don't even know.

That's why I thought to myself, when I saw you mentionned the "little Korg controller", that maybe I could use only the keybed of the VR-09 and (and not the nobes/faders wich I guess are very complicated to program), and in addition use a little external controller with some nobs and faders easier to program.

I'm new to this world, I'm coming from acoustic piano, so I'm not clear to myself yet !

Maybe it would me more simple to buy a dedicated midi controller like the Novation Remote 61 SL MKII or the Nektar Panorama P6...

What to do... (I have the possibility to return the VR-09 for free)

 

 

Thank you and here's a little video of my music if you're interested

[AnotherScott]

Picking up from what Stokely said, at least in theory, something like a Korg NanoKontrol could largely address the shortcomings of the VR09 as a controller. A remaining issue would be where to put it, as the VR09 doesn't have any free panel space, and you want to consider the ergonomics of how you will operate the additional controls during performance. (Something else nice about the XW-P1... the blank panel space on the right.)

 

The other issue is that the ability to use VR09 front panel buttons to call up external sounds is kind of limited. There are 100 storable registrations, but only 16 that can be directly accessed with buttons (i.e. without using the scroll wheel, a patch selection method that I hate for live performance); and each registration can send out only a single Program Change (so any split/layer zoning has to be done on the receiving side). So even assuming you will often/usually be using Mainstage, you have to also give some thought to how you will handle patch selection.

[Dextroze]

I see I see... Seems that sadly I might return the VR-09...