HELP! midi controller: korg padkontrol vs. akai mpd 24/26

[schnavolda]

i need some help, maybe the musicians among you can help me.

i decided to buy a midi controller (since mouse-only sucks) and start programming some music. just for me at home of course, maybe for my solo videos if its any good. monetary restrictions left me a choice between two particular products.

1) korg padkontrol
2) akai mpc 24 (maybe 26)

the korg has the best pads as far as i can tell from internet research and has the x-y-pad, but the akai has more knobs and sliders and therefor more abilities for on-the-fly changes in tone and effects. i like the look of the akai a lot more but i always read that it has crappy pads. they have circular sensor, so hitting the pads on the edge sometimes gives no response and they are said to be less responsive overall, whereas the padkontrol has square sensors which even register hits on the pad's edges.

what do i do now? i'm looking for a shop to try both out but haven't found one yet which doesn't come with hour long drives.

anyone here got experience with one of them or even both? any help is appreciated.

[ske]

I suggest getting an m-audio oxygen instead. You're seriously limited if you buy something with just pads... You can map out drum hits to a normal keyboard as well.

[Demzilla]

depends on what your using and if you can or cant add to your controller...

i use a m-audio oxygen v2 24 and 64 key...
there awesome and i can stuff any plug in i can find into them..
granted im running it through reason 3 and 4...

there is a really nice m-audio midi keyboard that has pads on it..
its pretty nice but i just didnt have the money to upgrade again...

you want something you can work with in your programs of choice...
and you want something with options...

i dont like korgs these days cause they tend to break after intense or alot of heavy use...

and fuck akai..


roland..
m-audio..
only...

(cough mv8000 cough)


oh and youll hear some demzilla shit soon..
54 intro..
possible my part..
good stuff...

[schnavolda]

yeah, i see where you are coming from. the m-audio keyboard with pads is the axiom series, but they are nearly out of range financially.

the oxygen 49 looks good and it's only half as expensive as the pads.

but how's the quality of the m-audio stuff? isn't the trigger from them? i heard their build quality is rather cheap?

i know that a regular keyboard gives me more options, especially with stuff that is not drums. i just love that mpc-feel but it would be kinda stupid to restrict myself in the possibilities i have just because of that.

that roland/edirol pcr-300 looks fluckin good, that would be as expensive as one of the pad-controllers.

it sucks having so little money.

[nolan1053]

I'm a big fan of anything M-Audio. The Axiom 25 is a great controller with pads on it and knobs to fuck with the tone. I've never had any issues with anything M-Audio and Demz is right about KORG breaking down after some playing, even their top notch shit tends to break down really fast. Roland is always great with advanced shit. But if you're just starting, any M-Audio will work great. I had an Akai for a few months before the thing broke and I sold it on craigslist, xD. Pads really aren't a necessity with programming and all that shit. You can easily do it by mouse, it's not as fun or productive, but it's not super fucking hard. I've been working on a dubstep song and trust me, this shit is complicated, but try the M-Audio Axiom 25 and tell me how it is, cause I wanna get it. I tried it at a local music store and it felt really nice.

[Demzilla]

schnav the mother fuckin mpc is as boss as is needed...
if you got one..
cut off the pressure sensitivity on the pads and use that bitch...

anyway...

m-audio keys arent bad..
its the only thing they choose to make right..
i love the keys...
3 years later and nothings loose...

do iiiitttt....

[schnavolda]

i wish i had a mpc. i just meant that the akai mpds and the padkontrol kinda emulate the feeling of using a real mpc, which is a good thing.

but music is more than just drums and with proper keys you can play chords and stuff way better than with programmable pads only.

i have a bid on an axiom 25 (the m-audio keyboard with pads) now, if i don't win that auction i will decide between the axiom 25 and the eridol pcr-300.

[nolan1053]

And when you get better and more experienced, you can update to the M-Audio Axiom 25 Pro. =D

[schnavolda]

And when you get better and more experienced, you can update to the M-Audio Axiom 25 Pro. =D

what's the difference between the pro and the regular edition, besides the obvious white color and improved keys?

the only thing i found out is that the unit somehow communicates differently with your daw and is able to behave like a keyboard in a way, so for example map the copy&paste keyboard shortcuts to a key on the axiom.

[schnavolda]

fuck, i was offline and missed an ebay auction where a nearly new axiom pro 25 went for the price of a regular new axiom 25.

i now ordered the regular one from a shop. i'll get it mid next week. i'm so looking forward to it.

[nolan1053]

A friend of mine who's a keyboardist in a local band uses the Axiom Pro for his programming. I asked him the difference and he said it has a wider range of octaves and some shit like that. But since my budget is supposed to be about $350, now it's $100 for some reason. I have to buy some shitty little $70 laptop keyboard/midi.

[schnavolda]

ok, so i got the axiom 25 and i FLUCKIN LOVE IT. that thing is a beauty and working with it is great fun. i only bought because of your input, so thanks alot to you all.

[HorseHead]

I still got one of these. It still rules. Got a hard drive for it though, because finding disks for it is stupid and doesn't hold shit. Got searched at the airport with it and dude asked me why I was taking a fax machine with me. Old and effective though for real.

[Stevland]

I still got one of these. It still rules. Got a hard drive for it though, because finding disks for it is stupid and doesn't hold shit. Got searched at the airport with it and dude asked me why I was taking a fax machine with me. Old and effective though for real.

why on earth a fax machine???? one of those for old people, with the huge ass keys? or for homer simpsons with his sausage fingers.

what did you answer? "cause phones aren't allowed on the plain" ?