KVR Audio

sylva · Post by **sylva** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:02 pm

Hello everyone!

As many of you as possible, please comment about these controllers as extensively as possible.

Thank you in advance.

John.

aquar · Post by **aquar** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:31 pm

Sylva,

I recently took delivery of the Axiom 61, mainly for use with Ableton live.
My initial reaction is favourable.
The build quality seems pretty good for the price. Oh its touted as a semi weighted keyboard but to me at least it doesn't feel very much weighted. A minor issue unless of course its a major reason for purchase. The velocity sensitivity feels just right to me, not so impressed with the aftertouch though.

I haven't had much time to play with it as yet mainly due to the fact I've had several technical issues to overcome ...basically my mission was to control Ableton live with very little keyboard or mouse interaction (as yet ableton live doesn't allow for mapping of qwerty keyboard commands via its midi learn) so I had to download midiyoke and bome's midi translator and get everything working. Obviously that is an Ableton issue or weak point.
But I am pretty much there after hours of experimentation and starting to get into things.

One thing though the Axiom looks like it has a ton of buttons that can be assigned to various functions of a soft synth but as yet I haven't been able to map anything other than the 8 drum pads, 9 sliders, 8 rotary dials and the 6 transport controls. This leaves an aweful lot of buttons un-assigned. I am hoping I can find a way of utilizing the majority of the rest of them.
Perhaps someone can point me in the right direction on this? I am sure I am overlooking something really obvious!

The Enigma editor (supplied) seems very good for uploading various presets directly to the controller. I was impressed with it.

Anyway as I said I haven't had much quality time on the Axiom but what little time I have spent I've enjoyed, it seems a pretty good workhorse controller.
Prolly best to try to get some hands on time in a shop if you are in doubt though.

glokraw · Post by **glokraw** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:40 pm

If you want/need lots of usable sounds, the E-mu proteus 2000 soundset has been tweaked and put in softsynth form, called Proteus VX...bundled with the xboard61, but reports
of Guitar Center and other stores selling Xboards with enhanced bundles are showing up. Most people like the hardware/sounds/abilities, just make sure not to install the winXP usb driver, just the e-mu version.

www.productionforums.com

includes an e-mu area, scroll down, enter, includes separate forums for each of the e-mu product range

edit:I download manuals to help in such decisions...free info is GOOD!

sylva · Post by **sylva** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:38 am

Glograw,

Problem is you must have an EMU soundcard to run the bundled Proteus. That's the major rub with this package. In general, this board has good reviews and that's the reason of my inquiry. I am vacillating between this one and the M-audio Axiom 61 (more expensive, but it has 20 presets, sliders/drabars, transport buttons, and some other neat features, but comes with less software).

And, by the way, how important and versatile are zones? Are they really necessary. I see their usefulness, but don't know to what extent. I have a digital piano which has 2. I'm also thinking whether it won't be better to use the piano, which has the 3 MIDI connections, coupled with the Behringer BMC2000 MIDI controller. The problem here would be the bulkiness of the piano which won't fit in the closet where I set up my computer lab/composition studio.

Aquar, have you managed to do anything yet with the new rig?

John.

ew · Post by ew » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:39 pm

sylva wrote:
Problem is you must have an EMU soundcard to run the bundled Proteus. That's the major rub with this package.

Incorrect. You need either an E-Mu soundcard, the 2x2 MIDI interface that comes with the Proteus retail package or an Xboard. If you don't have the soundcard, the E-Mu interface (either in 2x2 or Xboard form) must be plugged in to run it. The Proteus works fine with my Xboard and no E-Mu card.

In general, this board has good reviews and that's the reason of my inquiry. I am vacillating between this one and the M-audio Axiom 61 (more expensive, but it has 20 presets, sliders/drabars, transport buttons, and some other neat features, but comes with less software).

I have an Xboard 61 myself. I like the feel of the keyboard much better than the feel of the Axiom's. I also don't have the limited velocity response that some Axiom owners have reported (due to where the AT sensor's located on the Axiom).

My view of Creative's fairly well known around here

; the Xboard's the only E-Mu/Creative product I'd recommend to anybody. 'nuff said.

And, by the way, how important and versatile are zones? Are they really necessary. I see their usefulness, but don't know to what extent.

They're essential to me, but I do a lot of improvisational recording with multiple synths running at once. So, I'll use a latched zone to drive a synth with an arpeggiator, another zone to play a melody, a third one to switch drum patterns, etc.

ew

sylva · Post by **sylva** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 3:39 pm

I took ownership of the Axiom 61. I quite like it. But...

When I changed Program to 125 (Helicopter GM) the sound went down by a full minor third, that is, C in 0 (piano) = A in 125. Is this so on your instrument too? Just want to verify. Since I have perfect pitch in such case I need to transpose subconsciously. This always happened when playing instruments not tuned in C.

Thanks, Sylva.

ljones · Post by **ljones** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 12:36 am

I have the axiom 49 and I love it. I have configured it to work with Cubase and Fruity Loops. Once you get it set up it remembers every setting you made and allows for 20 memory banks. You will need to use "Enigma" to get the controls configured for your VST. USB powered so no wall wart

sylva · Post by **sylva** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:27 am

Surely by USB, what else? It's so simple, just hook it up to the computer and away it works. I need to do some more of the configs. I now am at page 16 of the manual and have some whays to go. I use the Live6 package bundle and downloaded lots of VSTIs (free of course:). I prefer those that are host independent (ie exec files in stead of mere dlls) because then you hear both the Axiom's built in instruments AND the VSTI's instruments. This sometimes leads to very interesting combinations of sounds for ex. the Helocopter control (125) combined with some of Ableton's instruments sounds like some very dark low strings + tenor tubas but lushed up with the electronic effect. Anyhow, thanks for the input. Being a novice at controllers, MIDI and VSTIs, much experimentation and practice will be needed.

Sylva.

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 2:27 pm

ljones wrote:I have the axiom 49 and I love it. I have configured it to work with Cubase and Fruity Loops. Once you get it set up it remembers every setting you made and allows for 20 memory banks. You will need to use "Enigma" to get the controls configured for your VST. USB powered so no wall wart

Did you get the Axiom to control FL Studio's Tranport Controls? I can get some to work but some require me to hit the Axiom's button twice to stop play for example.

I love my Axiom but I'm still kicking myself for not getting the 61 key version. It just wouldn't fit on the slide out try under my studio desk. My Radium 61 fits pefectly but doesn't have aftertouch, tranport controls, drum pads etc.

ljones · Post by **ljones** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 2:10 pm

Teksonik wrote:
ljones wrote:I have the axiom 49 and I love it. I have configured it to work with Cubase and Fruity Loops. Once you get it set up it remembers every setting you made and allows for 20 memory banks. You will need to use "Enigma" to get the controls configured for your VST. USB powered so no wall wart
Did you get the Axiom to control FL Studio's Tranport Controls? I can get some to work but some require me to hit the Axiom's button twice to stop play for example.

I love my Axiom but I'm still kicking myself for not getting the 61 key version. It just wouldn't fit on the slide out try under my studio desk. My Radium 61 fits pefectly but doesn't have aftertouch, tranport controls, drum pads etc.

Yes, I got it to work correctly by setting Fruity Loops midi controller type to "Tascam US-428" and the CC#'s on the Axiom to 23=Record 22=Play 21=Stop 20=Forward 19=Rewind (19 and 20 could be the other way around, Im going from memory).

accvi · Post by **accvi** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 2:52 pm

i own the axiom 61 too. i like the feel of the keys very much, but there is one thing i hate about it: if you push the keys a bit harder they bound on the underlying plastic which results in noise. this is very disturbing to me. but for this price i accept it.

sylva · Post by **sylva** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:22 pm

Another question: Axiom 61 comes with Ableton Live 6 for M-Audio Enhanced. Even though I can ulnock it successfully, it won't get out of DEMO mode. Is this the norm, does this software remain a DEMO or there's some way to really use it, in some limited way? I agree that at the bundle price with the Axiom some key features will be disabled, but the whole thing... Let me at least save some work just to have something to be guided by.

Besides, I am not at all sure I want to upgrade if I can't try out editing such as note change, meter change at the key signature, etc. Oh, by the way, does it have such thing, that is note editor or to change from 4/4 to 3/4, to 6/8, and some 5 and 7 metric times?

Anyone know about Cakewalk's Project 5? Thanks.

Sylva.

M-Audio Axiom 61MIDI controller, AMU-Xboard 61.