Recommend me a good, cheap MIDI drum pad

[JerGoertz]

Looking for one of those 16-pad affairs with no onboard sounds, just the MIDI out.

Criteria are price, durability, and features, with an emphasis on keeping the price low.

Thanks,
Jer

[Uncle E]

The MPD16 is the cheapest one. The TriggerFinger performs the best for the money (you might sometimes get double-triggers with the MPD16) and the new MPD32 coming out has the MPC note repeat.

[JerGoertz]

Thanks Uncle E, I'm looking at getting the Trigger Finger now.

[jedilaw]

Check out the Alesis SR-16. It's a full drum machine, not a mere controller, but it sells for $100 nowadays. It has 12 pads which have really good feel and are very responsive to velocity differences. Use a MIDI-to-USB cable to connect it to your computer and it can act as a controller for whatever software you want via MIDI OUT (caveat being no assignable knobs/sliders). Plus you also get a pretty nice sounding sample set, including the "dynamic articulation" feature (velocity changes not just volume but also pitch, giving more realistic results).

[JerGoertz]

Check out the Alesis SR-16. It's a full drum machine, not a mere controller, but it sells for $100 nowadays. It has 12 pads which have really good feel and are very responsive to velocity differences. Use a MIDI-to-USB cable to connect it to your computer and it can act as a controller for whatever software you want via MIDI OUT (caveat being no assignable knobs/sliders). Plus you also get a pretty nice sounding sample set, including the "dynamic articulation" feature (velocity changes not just volume but also pitch, giving more realistic results).

Interesting idea, but I really don't want/need onboard sounds.

[de la Mancha]

I just got a Korg PadKontrol last night, £70 off ebay, and I am LOVING it already. everything can be set up from the controller itself and the xy pad is a nice touch for rolls and flams as well as general midi control. It's the first drum pad I've owned, so nothing to compare it to, but first impressions are fantastic and it was very easy to install and set up for this midi controller n00ber

[jedilaw]

Check out the Alesis SR-16. It's a full drum machine, not a mere controller, but it sells for $100 nowadays. It has 12 pads which have really good feel and are very responsive to velocity differences. Use a MIDI-to-USB cable to connect it to your computer and it can act as a controller for whatever software you want via MIDI OUT (caveat being no assignable knobs/sliders). Plus you also get a pretty nice sounding sample set, including the "dynamic articulation" feature (velocity changes not just volume but also pitch, giving more realistic results).

Interesting idea, but I really don't want/need onboard sounds.

Consider them a bonus. The pads themselves are more than worth the $100, which is, incidentally, cheaper than almost all of the "dumb" pad controllers.

[epiphanius]

Cool tip, Jedilaw. I have decided to give up my Roland spd-6, and will keep my eye open for an sr-16.

[deastman]

I'm getting a Korg PadKontrol. I went to Guitar Center and tried all the different ones. They had them all set up side by side so it was easy to compare. The pads on the PadKontrol were *dramatically* better, in terms of feel, no false triggers, and uniform triggering across the whole pad surface. It costs about $100 more than the others, but I firmly believe the difference in performance is worth the extra money.

[jedilaw]

I'm getting a Korg PadKontrol. I went to Guitar Center and tried all the different ones. They had them all set up side by side so it was easy to compare. The pads on the PadKontrol were *dramatically* better, in terms of feel, no false triggers, and uniform triggering across the whole pad surface. It costs about $100 more than the others, but I firmly believe the difference in performance is worth the extra money.

Another good thing about the Pad Kontrol is that it has a pretty nice software bundle, as I recall. Among the "dumb" controllers, the only thing I would maybe choose over a Pad Kontrol would be the new Akai SPD32, but only because of it's MPC-specific features (note repeat and swing).