Simmons Digital Multi Pad Electronic Drum Set Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I have only used this product for learning how to play so I have not used all of it's capabilities and probably never will. Pro's
Very competitive price.
Design and interface are good
Build quality is good. Cons's
Processor has trouble registering beats when using three or more in a rhythm pattern. If you hit the pads harder this is not a problem so it sort of forces you to concentrate. Heavier sticks might help. It does not have that many preprogrammed acoustics kits but they are programmable. Pads are small so this is not meant for a young child. The processor works okay and is not going to impress you but for the price range what are you going to do.
If Simmons put $50 more dollars into this it would be awesome. At two fifty for a amateur it is worth wild. I would compare it to an economical drum pad and not a toy. The Rolland alternative is about two times more and it would not be worth it to me. If you need a foot pedal/switch "Hosa" makes one that you can change the polarity of it for about 30 dollars with shipping but I have not tried one yet. The manual is just a quick start guide and is the only thing available at the time of this post. The drum pad is not that hard to figure out though.

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Toontrack EZdrummer Multi Layer Drum Sampler Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a bit baffled by some of the reviews here. I got EZDrummer recently and I'm very happy with it so far. Let me clear up a few things:
1) It's a virtual instrument (says so right on the name). Apparently some people don't understand what that means. What that means is that you plug it into your favorite "main" sequencer program (FL Studio, Cubase, Mixcraft, whatever) and use it from there. Actually, EZ Drummer *does* come with a stand-alone program as well, but it's mainly a virtual instrument. Complaining that you need to buy a sequencer to use it is like complaining that you need to have a computer or an operating system, or a disk drive, or a power outlet. Duh! That's it's nature, and it's well understood.
2) The licensing is not *that* bad. Here's what it is: you install the program from the disk, you login to their website and fill in some info including the "license key" that comes with your disk, Toontrack generates an automated email containing an authcode that is specific to your computer and your serial number, you type that in on your computer, and you are done. The bottom line is that you can set two machines up to run with a single copy of EZDrummer. Then if you want to install it on a 3rd machine you have to de-activate one of the licenses that you had previously activated.
I'm not real thrilled about the licensing. It is certainly a bit confusing, and I wish it were either a little more flexible or let you license it via a dongle but I've seen much much worse, and I had things running 15-20min after inserting the disk into my machine. It's actually pretty similar to how Adobe does licensing for example.
Ok, so how is it at helping you create drum beats? Seems pretty darn good to me. The "default" drum beats are great. Just select what you want and drag it right onto your favorite sequencer. That is one way to use it. And even using it on that simple level it gives you a lot of power. You can make modifications like how hard the drum strikes are, and you can control the mixer right on EZdrummer itself to tailor the individual drums and symbols. The other way to use it is to create completely custom beats. I have not played with that much yet, but that is the feature that distinguishes it from places that just offer you drum loops that you pretty much have to take "as is" for example. And to me the fact that it offers so many different "upgrades" is a nice plus. It means that you can start small and expand, and also that the company is alive and well and motivated to keep making their product better.
I haven't used it enough yet to give a real in-depth review, but I felt like a few of the things that were said about it were pretty far off-base, and I wanted to chime in on that. I think the real telling thing about EZDrummer is what the real experienced hard-core musicians think of it. Go and do some searches and I think you'll see that this program has a real nice, well-earned reputation in the musician community.
By the way, I've been using it with FL Studio and Mixcraft and it seems to work very well with both those programs.

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Akai MPD26 USB/Midi Pad Controller Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Where to start !
Ok the basics, This product boasts a lot of features, and for anyone who has dreamed of owning an MPC, but cant afford it this is a great alternative.
Straight out of the box this item looks good, its solidly constructed, and just looks cool.
It comes with a copy of Ableton Live LITE, which honestly is not worth using, it is very limited in what you can do and to take advantage of the MPD you really need the features of the full version.
When it comes to installation it couldn't be any easier, plug in the USB cable and away you go, the only other thing you need to do is set up Live or whatever program you are using, its just a case of selecting it from your midi devices section in your program preferences..
Once I had this set up I was already to go, or so i thought, I found that LIVE's preset instruments wern't all that great for the MPD, however after searching on the net i found some cool videos on youtube that show you how to set up preset settings in LIVE which work really well.
The next thing i found was that there was quite some delay when i would hit the pad compared to when i would hear it, which was very annoying, it made trying to time things right near on impossible, after a little more research i found out what the problem was, it is the latency, which is determined mostly by the quality of your sound card and its drivers. There is a fix for this that worked brilliantly on my setup, and on a mates who purchased the MPD 18, you need to download ASIO4ALL a simple google search and you'll find it.. This has got my latency down to near zero and i can no longer feel any delay at all.
Now that I finally have the MPD set up the way i like, and all my little hardware bugs sorted, I love this thing, It's mad addictive, and I find myself getting lost in the mix and time just dissapears.
In conclusion, this product is fan-freakin-tastic... For the price of this compared to the MPC it is definetlly worth it, Although all MPC owners out there will tell you how it is nothing like an MPD, the truth is it does everything an MPC will do but you need the computer set up in a way that allows you to do it... Im sure they will all disagree, I personally think they're just a pissed that they spent so much on something that you can do with the MPD for a fraction of the price.. Obviouslly there is the downside that you cant just pick it up and take it to a gig without having ya pc with ya, but for recording / beatmaking this thing is great.
Although it was a little tricky getting all my presets sorted, once that was done its sweet.


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The MPD26 is a MIDI-over-USB pad controller with genuine MPC pads. It's perfect for producers, programmers, musicians and DJs. Its blend of intuitive MPC controls and technologies meshes with easy USB connectivity to bring the feel of classic beat making to the world of computer music production.
A MIDI-over-USB pad controller with genuine MPC pads. Click here for a larger image

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Akai XR20 Drum Machine Review

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(More customer reviews)I sent my XR20 midiclock, balanced its levels with some other gear, and voila! Amazing results. Funky, groovy, sounds awesome through my Korg KP3 Kaoss pad. Cool modes on this machine, too: it plays bass and synth. And one-shot FX. And there's tons and tons of samples--and you can switch drum kits on the fly. And you can switch patterns on measure boundaries only! Which keeps live jams with it from running out of control. And it does fills. And it sounds great. AND it has a microphone input, which means that I can send my voice into it! And it looks awesome. And the user interface is really well designed. And it's small. And it runs on batteries. And and and and and...

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Create beats wherever you roam with the Akai XR20 Beat Production Station, perfect for making hip-hop and R&B wherever and whenever inspiration strikes. The XR20 features sounds of standard and electronic drums, single (one-shot) hits, bass and synth sounds to easily create the maximum mix in minimal time.
More than 700 pre-loaded sounds cover a range of drums, percussion, effects and instrument samples, while an integrated effects engine includes Reverb, EQ and Compression, enabling users to make complete backing tracks. Plug in a microphone and mix vocals with your beats. In Pattern Play mode, you can trigger different patterns from each pad, so you can tailor the beats to flow with the energy on-stage. Bright blue pads light with the beat to illuminate your performances as you light up the club. The XR20 runs on wall or battery power, so it's flexible and portable.
Key Features
Over 700 sounds produced by Chronic Music
99 preset patterns and 99 user patterns
Backlit LCD
Bright, glowing, backlit pads that follow the beat
Microphone input and headphone output
Pattern Play Mode -- different patterns can be triggered from individual pads
Drum Roll / Note Repeat feature for realism and expression
Battery power capability and AC adapter

Specifications
Inputs:
One 1/4-inch mic
Two 1/4-inch footswitch
One MIDI

Outputs:
One 1/4-inch stereo pair (main)
One 1/4-inch stereo (aux)
One 1/4-inch stereo headphones
One MIDI

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Akai Pro MPK mini Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you have spent any time reading the reviews of the LPD8 and the LPK25, rest assured you can apply them to this product as well. The MPK Mini is literally a combination of the LPD8 and LPK25; nothing less and nothing more. Which is a great thing if you've been considering both!
This is my first MPC product but I am an experienced keyboardist. The Pads are pretty nice. I enjoy how they light up when you hit them. Like others said regarding the LPD8, they aren't as sensitive as some might prefer, and I'm inclined to agree. It tends not to register some of might lighter hits, so I'm having to get used to how hard I have to hit it. No big deal. It's also nice to have the knobs. They aren't as nice as professional grade knobs, but they work nicely for such a compact unit. The keyboard has mini keys and they are very sturdy. Some complain that it feels like a toy keyboard. Of course it does, they are mini keys! The keys are fine for their purpose of capturing ideas. I do not consider them performance worthy.
For those comparing this to other 25 key midi controllers, please know what you are comparing. There's a reason this is $100. It's simply a combination of two other products. Don't complain about the lack of pitch/mod wheels. The purpose of this product is portability and to allow you to capture ideas when you don't feel like lugging around larger equipment. For these reasons, I find it to be an excellent product.
Definitely pick this product up if you're looking for something extremely portable with acceptable mini keys and very playable MPC pads.

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Novation Nocturn 25 USB MIDI Interface Keyboard Controller, 25-Keys, NOCTURN 25 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The general concept of the Novation Nocturn series is that you have a responsive MIDI controller that is less expensive because a lot of the display parts and intelligence are handled through Novation's AutoMap software. AutoMap can be great, but it can also be very frustrating if the mappings for different devices aren't up to date, and Novation has a poor reputation for keeping their mappings current (in particular with Reason).
I originally had an Akai MiniMPK, which worked great, but wanted something a little larger, so I figured that the Nocturn 25 was just the ticket and only a bit more expensive (and still less expensive than the MAudio Axiom Pro 25 or the Akai MPK25).
It showed up, I installed it, and everything seemed fine, until I tried to use the drum pads. The drum pads under Windows were sporadically responsive, sometimes they'd show up, sometimes they wouldn't. I tried calibrating them, and AutoMap never registered them. Hmm. This is on a Mac Pro 2008 running Win 7. On a hunch, I booted into OS X...and they work perfectly.
So it's not a hardware issue, it's software issue, and one with their drivers. According to another user on the Novation forums, he reported this a year ago and support claimed that they were aware of the problem and 'looking into it'. Non-functioning drum pads on Windows would seem to be a fairly significant issue.
Support hasn't responded to me in 3 days, so I'm guessing they're not going to address this, at which point I'll need to return this. Disappointing since I'll have to spend more money.
Overall I give it 2 stars. If you're solely an OS X user and can live with the Automap quirks, it's probably a 4 star product, but if you use Windows, one of its major features may or may not work for you at all.


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Akai Pro MPK61 USB MIDI Keyboard Controller Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've seen only two reviews on the MPK61 having looked all over the net. Both complained of the feel of the keyboard. I'll get to that shortly.
I bought mine based on reviews of the MPK49. I also bought an On-Stage stand for it and a Behringer expression pedal. It was a quick setup - but I found almost immediately that two adjacent notes were not playing - unless I really hit them hard. So it got RMAed - no problem - the next unit was fine.
Pros:
The controls and pads were much bigger than I thought they would be - I just hadn't picked up on the size from the photo. So they are large and very smooth.
The pitch bend and mod wheels are well built (and lit up!). It doesn't look like the pitch bend would ever bias like some controllers.
The unit can run on USB power only. For all the lights on this thing you wonder how 500 milliamps manages it all. If a USB connection is not established the MPK will send controls out the MIDI connector - yet still run from USB power (say your computer is in standby but still provides USB power - actually I'm passing through a USB hub). This is useful if you just have a sound module connected to it.
If USB is established, the MIDI in connectors will pass another controller or keyboard to the computer. This keyboard actually establishes three USB MIDI connections with your computer.
Aftertouch works well.
Generally you have a lot of control over sensitivity of the keys and pads. So you can adjust things the way you like. Except....
Cons:
The guy was right about the feel of the keyboard. To be more specific - it is supposed to be a semi-weighted keyboard but the spring in the keys requires every bit of force (or more) than a fully weighted keyboard. The spring fights your fingers down and up as well. But worse, the keys are about an inch shorter than they should be - so hitting a black key requires a lot of force if you're towards the back of the key. Be prepared to learn how to play just for this keyboard. Akai should really rethink this - much less spring and longer keys.
Those two reviews also complained about the pads not working well. But I find that they work just fine as long as the sensitivity and sensitivity curve are adjusted properly - I use 14 w/curve A.
Considering I had to return the first keyboard - Akai has some quality issues.
Finally, one annoying firmware bug - a bank value of 127 for the MSB in a program change is excluded only if you try to assign it to a key. Why? For me it is a pain since all my drum kits use MSB=127.

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Akai MPC1000 Music Production Center Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My first impressions on the newest and smallest MPC in Akais great lineup of sampler/beat machine was thatit just HAD to be a lesser equiped version of those higher numbered MPC. WRONG!!!. I've used all MPCs and can say that I am pretty skilled with the MPC-60, 60 II, 2000, 200xl, and 3000 and just begining to peak at what the MPC4000 can truly do (it is in a whole different level and not at all for the novice).
The MPC1000, in my opinion is the best of the lot (not including the MPC4000). It doesn't have the warm sound that the MPC-60/60 II has but overall it can do anything that you want it to do. It does everything that a 2000/2000xl can do. It may have a smaller number of outputs but that is not that big of a deal if you know what you are doing.
Armed with a computer (as most of us are) the MPC1000 is extremely capable of accomplising any task that its big brothers can. In fact it handles many things better than those costing much more.
The MPC1000 is set up more like an MPC4000 and will aid those who hope to step up to using the big boy. Starting with a 2000 or 3000 will hinder you, in that some of those things you will do on those machines you will have to re-learn how to do those same things on the 4000 (once you pay the big bucks to make that move).
Don't be put off by it's tiny size. Max out it's memory, get a big compact flash card (it canhandle up to a 2 gig card, WOW) and this little box will STOMP the 2000 and 3000, even the 60 (remember those aren't made anymore and are quit old).
This thing KICKS.

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Inheriting all the essential MPC series features, the Akai MPC1000 complements its larger siblings while also providing a powerful Music Production Center on its own. It features 32-voice stereo sampling, 64-track sequencing, and 16 velocity, and pressure-sensitive MPC pads--all in an affordable and compact package that weighs just 7.6 pounds. The MPC1000 is small, rugged and incredibly portable for an easy fit into a backpack or laptop bag for the traveling producer.
It comes with 16 MB of onboard memory (expandable up to 128 MB), and you can further enhance your storage with optional standard Compact Flash memory cards (up to 2 GB in size). A preloaded CF card with popular Akai Pro samples is included to get you going. When connected to a Mac or PC via its built-in USB port, you can simply drag and drop data between the computer and MPC1000's CF card.
Key Features
Pattern-based and linear 64-track sequencer with 32 MIDI channels
32-voice drum/phrase sampler with up to 128 MB RAM
Velocity and pressure-sensitive pads for expressive programming
16-level pad function maps one sound to all pads with varied level, tuning, attack, decay or filter per pad
Two Q-link sliders for real-time performance control
Built-in Compact Flash drive and USB port (Mass Storage Class)
Standard WAV files samples and MIDI-file sequences
Analog and digital I/Os, headphone output and two MIDI In/Out
Internal sounds in flash
Four-way sample layering and velocity switching per pad
Four-pole filters (two two-pole filters) filtering for each of the 32 voices
Two on-board effects processors plus main-output effect processor, all which can be used simultaneously
Outputs can be re-sampled

Specifications
Storage: Compact Flash: Type-II, support up to 2 GB card
Hard Drive (optional - req. HDM-10): any standard IDE 2.5-inch hard drive
Memory: 16 MB installed (Can be expanded to 128 MB with EXM-128)
Analog Input/Output:
(2) Balanced 1/4-inch Inputs
(6) Unbalanced 1/4-inch Outputs [Stereo L/R + 4 Assignable Outs]
(1) Headphone Output

Digital Input/Output:
(1) Coaxial S/PDIF Input [RCA]
(1) Coaxial S/PDIF Output [RCA]

MIDI Input/Output:
(2) MIDI Input [5-pin DIN]
(2) MIDI Output [5-pin DIN]

Other Input/Output:
(2) 1/4-inch Footswitch
(1) USB [Slave only]

Levels:
Analog Input = +10dBu
Analog Output = +17dBu [Stereo & Assignable Outs]

Sampler Resolution: 16bit/44.1kHz
Sampler Recording Time:
136 seconds [16 MB/MONO]
24 minutes 28 seconds [128 MB/MONO]

Sequencer Details:
100,000 notes resolving at 96ppq
99 Sequences with total 64 tracks per seq
20 Songs with total 250 steps per song

Pad Details:
16 (velocity and pressure sensitive)
4 Pad Banks [A, B, C, D]

Synchronization: MIDI Clock only
Power Options:
100v - 240v
50/60Hz
19W

Dimensions: 13 x 2.97 x 8.98 inches (WxHxD)
Weight (net): 7.6 pounds
Data Compatibility:
MPC1000 -- SEQ, WAV, PGM
MPC2000/2000XL -- SEQ (saved as MID file only), WAV, SND, PGM (Most parameters of PGM file can be loaded.)
MPC2500 -- SEQ, WAV, PGM
MPC4000 -- SEQ (saved as MID file only), WAV, AKP (DRUM program only...No Keygroups. Only note assign and tune are loaded.)
MPC3000 -- SND (THRU Computer)
Z4/Z8 -- WAV, PGM (DRUM program only. Only note assign and tune are loaded.)
S5000/6000 -- WAV only (THRU Computer)
S1000/3000 -- No compatibility

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Akai MPK 49 Controller Keyboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First of all, the pads DO suck. MPC's are known for their pads so you'd think Akai would at least be able to put the same type of pad/contact design on their MPK line. Instead they put a bunch of pads with no play that feel like buttons and make the keyboard housing vibrate when you pound them. On top of that they placed the contacts so far away it's damn near impossible to get 127 velocity on the pads without going Full Level. Even my LPD8 feels better than this thing. And even though they look like the MPC1000 pads, the 1000 pads are twice as thick as the ones here. I would have loved for them to have put the 1000 pads on this. At least then I'd be able to play back a chopped loop without feeling like I'm dialing a phone number.
The best part of the controller is the control surface. The transport keys, knobs, and sliders feel great. The LCD screen looks great.
Something unique about the controller is that it has built in MIDI settings that mimic classic MPC functions (16 level, MPC swing, note repeat). Too bad the pads keep you from fully enjoying these features.
The keys are decent but slightly noisy because they vibrate on release. The controller is also one of the few 49 key controllers out there with aftertouch. I prefer the lever-like feel of the Axiom when it comes to using aftertouch but the keys here are not a dealbreaker.
There's also a simple arpeggiator you can use. It's fairly simple in that there are only 5 settings you can use to separate notes in a chord. If you've used a more sophisticated arp (like the one on a Yamaha KX8), you'll be disappointed though.
The MPK is a good controller but Akai could have done way better than this. If you're using this for the keys and control surface it's a decent investment. But if you're thinking of buying this for the pads so you can drum and play back chopped loops, get an MPD instead.

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More than just a USB/MIDI controller, the Akai MPK49 USB/MIDI Controller Keyboard helps you maximize your musical ideas on-stage or in the studio. It combines a high-quality, 49-key, semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch and 12 genuine MPC drum pads. It also offers 48 total accessible pads via 4 pad banks, and you can control up to 72 different parameters via 24 assignable Q-Link knobs, faders, and buttons as well as optional footswitches.

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Akai MPD32 USB/Midi MPC Pad Controller Review

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(More customer reviews)After I upgraded to a laptop with Windows Vista, I was on the hunt for a new MIDI controller. I was using an Akai MPD16 but after several failed installs on my Vista laptop, I found out that Akai decided not to make a Vista driver for my antiquated hardware. At first, I was a bit angry that my equipment that I've been using for a long time with Windows XP no longer worked. But then the prospect of getting new gear calmed me down.
All I really wanted was a pad controller with MPC style pads and a "note repeat" function. I researched several pad controllers: M-Audio Trigger Finger, Akai MPD24, and Korg padKONTROL. I also gave Akai's new MIDI keyboard, the MPK49, serious consideration since it has 12 MPC style pads. After much debate, and plenty of time spent watching demos of each product on YouTube, I finally placed a pre-order for an Akai MPD32.
It arrived a couple months later and it was plenty worth the wait and money. The first thing I noticed is that the MPD32 is large, much larger than my previous MPD. Its footprint is a bit bigger than my 15.4" laptop. The next thing I noticed is that it's built solid. All of the knobs, faders and pads feel great. These pads are the same pads that are used on the MPC2500. The only criticism I have for the pads would be with the sensors. Akai uses a round sensor under the pad so not all of pad surface is usable, unlike the Korg padKontrol which uses a square sensor for its pads. But this is not a deal breaker for me.
The MPD32 comes with presets for many popular music production programs (e.g. Live, Reason, FL Studio, Cubase, etc.) Personally, I use Reason 4.0 and Live 7. The presets for Reason work perfectly. The 8 knobs and faders are easily assignable to manipulate filters and effects within Reason.
For me, the MPD32 is perfect. If you're in need of a MIDI controller with MPC pads for your DAW, look no further.
Products Referenced:
Akai MPD16 USB/MIDI Pad Controller
M-Audio Trigger Finger Drum Pad Control Surface
Akai MPD24 USB/MIDI Pad Controller
Korg PADCONTROL KORG USB DRUM PAD CONTROLLER
Akai MPK49 Keyboard Controller
Akai MPC2500 Music Production Center

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Korg nanoKONTROL USB Controller, Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a laptop musician and I've gotten extremely tired of staring at the screen, twiddling virtual knobs one at a time with my mouse. When Korg introduced the nano line, I practically ran to the store to check them out. The nanoKONTROL is almost perfect for my setup, and for under sixty bucks I couldn't walk out without one.
First off, this is definitely NOT plug-n-play, but it's a breeze to setup. I use Ableton Live and it immediately recognized the nanoKONTROL and let me assign functions to each button, knob, and slider with no issues at all. It revolutionized my live show because I can suddenly operate multiple faders and trigger multiple audio loops at once, all in a unit that's smaller than a carton of cigarettes. There are only nine fader/knob sets, but you can change 'scenes,' which essentially transposes the controls up to the next bank of nine, effectively giving you 36 fader sets. It even has lights so you can see what's triggered on a dark stage. I've had this for a good four or five months now and have never had any problems- after setting it up, simply plug it in and you're good to go.
The nanoKONTROL also ships with a copy of the Korg Kontrol Editor, which is a little program you can use to alter the firmware of the device. The Editor allows you to change the parameters of your nano- what kind of midi signal is being sent, the channel, the toggle, the high and low values, et cetera. You can even save multiple editor files, so you can switch between settings depending on what program you're using. Absolutely brilliant.
There is one con to this unit, and I'm not gonna lie: it feels chintzy. When I first picked it up, I had to laugh because it's such a lightweight piece of plastic that it feels more like a child's toy than a piece of equipment. I feel like one little drop and this thing will shatter into bits. The knobs and faders are cheap as hell and before you plug it in, you will feel a little ripped off. BUT AFTER YOU PLUG IT IN, you will realize that those tacky knobs and faders are extremely responsive and you just got a great controller for the price of a decent dinner for two.
I've heard mixed reviews of the other nano products, especially the keyboard (seriously, you can buy an old Oxygen 8 for almost the same price, so get some real midi keys), but I HIGHLY recommend the nanoKONTROL. You'll love it.

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Part of the super-compact nanoSERIES, Korg's nanoKONTROL offers nine faders, nine knobs, 18 switches, plus a full transport section for expansive control; even a flexible note input mode to help you lay down your next big groove.

The Korg nanoSERIES The Korg nanoSERIES provide a keyboard controller, a pad controller, and a studio controller with dedicated transport controls. Each of these USB-powered, slim-line controllers is designed to make the most of your valuable studio space, and is small enough to take with you on any musical journey. Place one of our keyboard controllers in front of your laptop, rest a pad controller on your music workstation, park a studio controller on your recording console--or anywhere else you need versatile control over your DAW, virtual instrument, effect or DJ software. Although small in size, all three nanoSERIES controllers go HUGE when it comes to functionality, yet their intuitive layouts provide extremely easy operation for any user.
nanoKONTROL--The Most Expansive Array of Controls For Its Size--Period The nanoKONTROL features a plethora of controllers to help you get the most control out of your software for the size and money. nanoKONTROL offers nine faders, nine knobs, 18 switches and a full transport section. For each of the four programmable scenes the nanoKONTROL offers, you can set the controllers any way you need them. That means that you can transmit a total of 168 different MIDI CC (Control Change) messages, as well as MIDI notes with the switches. The six transport buttons can each transmit either MIDI CC messages or MMC messages to control functions such as: start, stop, loop, or record on your DAW software.
Imagine taking full control of your software--transport, a full track's worth of faders, pans and mutes--or how about precise dedicated control over the many parameters of software synths, samplers or virtual drum machines. It's all possible with the nanoKONTROL.
To add to the nanoKONTROL's flexibility, an attack and decay time can be specified for the eighteen switches. This allows you to smoothly feed controller messages into parameters such as wet/dry levels for an effect, a filter for a synth, or a volume fader for that perfect fade.
What's in the Box Korg nanoKONTROL, USB cable, Owner's Manual

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Korg PadKontrol USB Drum Pad Studio Controller, White Review

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(More customer reviews)The KORG padKontrol has only one purpose and that is to make the use of its input pads easy, flexible and reliable. The included manual is very thorough and explains every aspect well. The included editor software called Librarian, lets you program the entire pad very easily and requires little instruction, it is mainly click the image on the padKontrol on the screen and then set its parameters.
The pads are really what sets this unit apart though as they will register a hit even when they are struck on an edge or corner. If you've got sloppy fingers and are triggering things accidentally then just adjust the velocity curves to dial back the sensitivity. The pads light when the trigger which is a nice way to instantly see that you have a successful input. They can be set as momentary on/off or as toggle types. In toggle mode they act more like a switch where one hit turns it on and a second hit turns it off which is useful for sending MIDI events that you may want to remain "ON" longer than a split second like the momentary trigger gives.
The other buttons also light up as they are used which gives good feedback. The knobs are solid and have a very smooth action to them. The feet on the bottom of the unit are really sticky, not in a glue or tape sort of way, but rather in a it stay where you put it despite tapping away at it like mad. The touch-pad allows some very cool roll/flam effects but takes some practice to use well, it can also be reassigned to other functions.
Mine came with software samples from several manufacturers in the box. I am especially pleased with the one from Pianoteq and KORG's own M1Le synth engine. Those were unexpected, are very functional and have me thinking of actually upgrading them to their respective full versions.
KORG is a top tier name and this unit lives up to the reputation. Do not settle for cheaper imitations, you can see a big difference in quality.

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Korg PadKontrol USB Drum Pad Studio Controller, black Review

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(More customer reviews)Bought an Akai MDP26 first and promptly returned it for the padKONTROL. I prefer the feel of the Korg over the Akai, and the LED's in the pads are super responsive (no latency compared to the Kontrol 49). The X/Y pad is a joy to play flams and rolls with - highly recommended!!! Fair warning, as of Reason 5 the Remote file does not have feedback so the LEDS's do not "play back" on the pads when you play your sequences back. Perhaps in an update by Propellerhead but this isn't Korg's fault.

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Akai MPC 5000 Music Production Center Review

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(More customer reviews)Imagine having a synthesizer added to your MPC (assuming you have used a MPC before). Same capabilities as the previous models, but my favorite addition is the arpeggio function. When a MIDI keyboard is hooked up you can play out chords and press the arpeggiator button instead of just holding down the note-repeat button. I actually ordered and installed different color pads to give my MPC that customized-look. The internal hard drive is loaded with more than enough soundsets. The ability to chop and edit samples has been simplified with a few auto options. It also has a built in multitrack recorder (which I have yet to mess with), but seems easily accessible at the click of a button. I save my sounds on the internal hard drive and back them up on computer via USB port built on the back of the unit. The option to save and/or load is available for both Compact Flash cards and internal hard drive. Optional DVD Drive can be installed, too...this made my beat CD creation a cinch. The internal ROM is loaded with basic drum sets and synth presets. Make sure you update the Operating System for I heard the original OS was "buggy" (unstable). Like I mentioned in my title...the MPC5000 is quite pricey, but the power of this machine is unrivaled.

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The Akai MPC5000 has a greatly expanded feature set and that legendary MPC feel! The MPC series set the standard for beat production. What would it take to make the ultimate MPC? Dozens of engineers, 20 years of experience and a new synth and drum sampling engine unlike any MPC ever. Introducing the MPC5000; the new standard for music production. Purchase the Akai MPC5000 today and get a FREE Download of the MC5000 OS 2.0 from www.akaipro.com! Check out the in-depth comparison chart for all the MPC's that Akai makes. Use it to find out exactly how much power you need! The MPC5000 is the first MPC ever to include 8-track streaming hard disk recording, a 20-voice, 3-oscillator analog synthesizer with arpeggiator, a new sequencing engine with 960 ppq resolution, pad and track muting and mixing, 64 continuous sample tracks. There's even a new FX engine with 4 FX buses and 2FX per bus. Akai MPC5000 Features 64-voice drum/phrase sampler with 64MB memory (Expandable to 192MB) Three-oscillator virtual analog synth engine with built-in arpeggiator Over 300 Virtual Analog synth presets included Eight tracks of Direct-to-Hard Disk recording Over 40 all new effects available within a modular 4-bus effects processor Master compressor and equalizer Built-in hard disk drive Optional CD-R/DVD drive USB 2.0 port for computer con

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Native Instruments KOMPLETE 7 ELEMENTS Software Review

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(More customer reviews)This software is amazing for the price. I am mostly using the various features as plug-ins with Ableton Live Intro, and I'm finding the combination of these two inexpensive packages to be awesome for someone on a budget. I can't believe the realistic guitar sounds I get using Guitar Rig as a plug-in to Ableton via my Yamaha keyboard (if you're not familiar with Native Instruments, Guitar Rig is one of the included programs). I've recorded several things and played back for other people and they were astonished that I was playing the parts with a keyboard. Highly recommend.

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Akai Pro MPD18 Compact Pad Controller Review

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(More customer reviews)Just started messing around with beats. This thing is awesome and crazy affordable. Im not to the point where I can justify spending the money for the MPC's and such so this was right up my alley and does everything I need for my level of music production. Was a little difficult to set up and assign samples to pads at first cause the instructions are minimal at best, after a bunch of trial and error and youtube tutorials I was able to figure it out for the most part.

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Easy Drums (Jewel case) Review

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(More customer reviews)This CD-ROM is a great choice for beginner drummers. I definately recommend it.

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Easy Drums is an interactive guide that will show you everything you need to get started playing the drums. Learn how to select the right drum set,as well as basic techniques like how to hold the sticks and how to playdifferent beats and rolls. The lessons are specially designed withbeginners in mind. Print out music to practice, learn about drum history andfamous drummers, and watch video instruction by an expert. Interestingtrivia and a fun drum-related quiz rounds out this package.

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