KVR Audio

k3ith · Post by **k3ith** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:46 pm

I avoid M-Audio like the plague! Can't really comment on the Novation MK II as I've never tried one tried one!

When I look at all the MIDI controllers made in the last 5 years I just wanna BORK! The build quility on 90% of controllers these days is just so fcuking poor!

k3ith

KBKB · Post by **KBKB** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:49 pm

thumky wrote:Great thread. People say when you touch a fader the value "automatically shows up on the screen" on the MK II, does that mean on the AutoMap software or on the LED screen?
.

check you tube videos on this one

i bought a mark one in the end because i wanted 3 octaves and i already had a nocturn

I believe the sl mk2 works like the nocturn. ie touch the fader and it displays the value on the screen on the red led ring round the software. you can set the software to pop up when a knob or fader is pressed, but on my nocturn it kept popping up at odd times so i turned it off

thumky wrote: the keys feel amazing . .

true

k3ith wrote:I avoid M-Audio like the plague! Can't really comment on the Novation MK II as I've never tried one tried one!

When I look at all the MIDI controllers made in the last 5 years I just wanna BORK! The build quility on 90% of controllers these days is just so fcuking poor!

k3ith

highlights from Madness post

Madness wrote:I owned the original Axiom....let me tell you I sold it within 4 weeks.

I tried and tried to understand the criptic manual, all I wanted to do was program my own Midi CC's and use the knobs to control efx...

Well it was terrible, chineese piece of turd, the complete craptacular package, .............

I'll never by another piece of MAudio gear

Future music and computer music obsess over M audio and give them awards.

but M Audio (MIDI Man for us who remember) make cruddy plasticy awful feeling keyboards. I'm not sure why CM and FM award them

TRY BEFORE BUY in your local shop on that one

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:21 pm

Yes, the poor quality is bad but would people pay the price tag if the devices are build in Europe or the US and have this expected hight quality?

The spirits that we called... Are the cheap and poor assembling quality in China and the product design to make all as cheap as possible. It's not only M-Audio, many companies have problems with the quality this days.
But M-Audio has not only a problem with there quality, they have a bigger problem with their non existing product support.

FiascoAndretti · Post by **FiascoAndretti** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:53 pm

great thread. Ive been using a Gen1 Axiom and experienced most of the issues covered. I'm definately looking forward to moving to a novation when the tax return hits.

gilmoreblack · Post by **gilmoreblack** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:51 am

I bought the MK II SL with 25 keys, primarily for the controllers, to work with synth patches (External XVs, Motif-Rack XS, NI Reaktor). For that, it's fine.

But for a pianist, as a general midi-entry tool, it's "mushy". Totally frustrated with the wildly varying velocity, I finally tested the velocity of the keyboard (which I understand is a Fatar, in the SL series), within Logic, and compared the groupings to a Roland A-37 that I've used for some years. The velocity variance was quite distinct - the Roland was FAR easier to control (I'm a pianist).

I know the Fatar is almost indestructible, and Automap can be very useful, but the velocity issue is real, and much has been written about it elsewhere.

I've never tried an Axion, and after reading this thread, never will.

Roland is marketing their keyboards under the "Cakewalk" brand now - anyone try one of these?

And, of course, Korg has some beauties out - but $3K is a lot for their newest midi controller. . . . . . . . .

gb

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:50 am

The best thing is to forget the idea of a controller for a DAW. It doesn't work as expected. Hypercontrol is unusable because you cannot say "map the filter of the VST to knob1" or something else. So you must step to a lot of small pages to find out how a parameter was mapped to a controller. The show stopper is of course that it doesn't work with Cubase 5/6...
Mixing with the controller is a good idea, but because of the limited controllers you must work with banks of parameters... I can work quicker while using the mouse and scroll in the mixer to the tracks.

The only good thing: transport controls. I will not say it works better then with the keyboard shortcuts but its sometimes very usable.

Keyboards are from average to ok. But no known is amazing or that people praises it. Also Novation seems not to be the optimal solution.

For me the controller experience is over. I will use my Axiom Pro and hope that M-Audio will release some working support for Cubase this year but I think for the future the best thing is to go back to a hardware synth with keyboard.

Mattiiiii · Post by **Mattiiiii** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:08 am

I love my Novation 49 SL MK2. I don't use the Automap feature, because I find it easier to use FL Studio's auto-link functionality. Although people here and there were complaining about the build quality of the Novation, I have no such complaints. The Fatar keyboard works great for me, but that's always subjective and I would try it out before if I could.

Nowadays, I would always go for the one that offers most controls, but may be that's just me who loves to have direct control to any synth/plugin parameter.

It took some time to create a FL Studio template in which all controls are mapped the way I want them to work (e.g., mixer, frequently used synth and effect plugins) - but man, it was definitely worth it!

cocomo joe · Post by **cocomo joe** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:29 am

Very informative thread indeed.
Also the M-Audio forum,hard to believe the amount of user pain on most makes.
Wish I knew it earlyer..since I just bought an Oxygen 88 for 659 euro's.
Keybed ( graded hammer action ) is fine.
Sliders..knobs..transport actually working.
Sliderbuttons NOT working ( useless for toggle things on end off ).
Templates..only the big daws I'll never use ( Reaper only ).
Display..as other posters said about it.
What more?
Just hope it won't break down for some time.
Sheezz.

akafurious · Post by **akafurious** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 8:58 pm

I would just get the Axiom 49 (2nd gen) instead of the Axiom Pro. Dont like the Hypercontrol its kinda of a pain.

musikmachine · Post by **musikmachine** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:22 pm

gilmoreblack wrote:Roland is marketing their keyboards under the "Cakewalk" brand now - anyone try one of these?

I just got an A300 Pro. I think they're being sold off cheap cause Roland is renaming them. Anyway for what i paid it's the best controller i've owned. I got it for the keyboard alone so the extra software was a nice bonus. I don't think you'd get a better keyboard for the money, it's the same keybed they use in their juno synths.

Took a bit of setting up getting the ACT control to work with Sonar but it's the most intuitive combination i've used so far.

fmr · Post by **fmr** » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:22 pm

KBKB wrote: Future music and computer music obsess over M audio and give them awards.

but M Audio (MIDI Man for us who remember) make cruddy plasticy awful feeling keyboards. I'm not sure why CM and FM award them

TRY BEFORE BUY in your local shop on that one

Business as usual. FM and CM are not reliable sources, and sometimes they give prizes just on a business basis (advertising, you know).

tekboi · Post by **tekboi** » Sun May 15, 2011 9:26 am

I'm glad I found this thread. I have a regular axiom 61 controller already. But I recently bought logic and was looking into replacing it with an axiom pro. Then, I ran across the Novation which looks perfect for what I need since it seems catered towards logic exclusively. And the axiom seems to be catered towards the pro tools.

I'm leaning towards the NOVATION now. Hopefully they keep the software updated and there are improvements with autoMap happening...

ViktorW · Post by **ViktorW** » Sun May 15, 2011 9:36 am

fmr wrote:Business as usual. FM and CM are not reliable sources, and sometimes they give prizes just on a business basis (advertising, you know).

Do you just not like their test results, or do you have actual proof?

yesandknow · Post by **yesandknow** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 1:04 pm

Mattiiiii wrote:I love my Novation 49 SL MK2. I don't use the Automap feature, because I find it easier to use FL Studio's auto-link functionality. Although people here and there were complaining about the build quality of the Novation, I have no such complaints. The Fatar keyboard works great for me, but that's always subjective and I would try it out before if I could.

yeah, in most hosts the midi mapping is a streamlined enough process so often there's no need for workarounds like hypercontrol or automap. but cubase having its stone age PITA type of MIDI mapping, it actually created a niche market for these controllers and proprietary software (which doesn't really work well anyway as shown). :-/

Liero · Post by **Liero** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 8:02 pm

I own the Axiom Pro 49, here's my take:

+ Feel of the keys
+ Build quality of keys (I play pretty hard, so far no breaking)
+ Faders surprisingly ok quality for this kind of keyboard, thought they would totally suck

- The drum pads are useless! Insensitive shït you have to hard & dead center or you get nothing
- Hypercontrol software is complex and weird, did not end up using it at all

:::Axiom Pro vs. Novation SL MK II::: What do u think???