Novation Nocturn... where does it speed up your workflow...?

[golemus]

I bought less than a year ago a controller called Novation Nocturn. Practically it is like you would take the eight knobs out from Novation Remote SL-mk2 or Zero SL mk2 and put them into their own smaller controller.

I kind of bought it in a hurry and I am starting to feel that it was one of those things where you buy impulsively something you really don't need. I just have difficulty of fitting it anywhere in my workflow where it would really speed up things. I am by the way composing with Ableton Live (in arrangement view and a lot of VST-plugins).

So always when I start to use it I kind of feel that I would accomplish the same with mouse faster. Other controllers that I have is M-Audio OXygen-25 (3rd gen), Akai APC-40, Akai LPD8 and M-Audio X-Session Pro (I think I probably will sell the X-Session). I spend most of the time in live with Sylenth1, Synth1, Korg M1, sometimes Zebra/Z3TA+, and of course Ableton EQ8 and Compressor all the time.

So what is your advice, should I sell it or is there any good use for this device...?


I must say that I would really wish that Oxygens knobs were nocturns knobs. Oxygen is just the perfect keyboard for me. I have tried several others (Axiom, Impulse...) and nothing else of its small size has equally good workflow for working in live. I just love the fact that the slider maps automatically to the volume of the current channel (I use it ALL the time).

[saintjohnbaxter]

…when I start to use it I kind of feel that I would accomplish the same with mouse faster.

This.

I had one not long after they launched and sold it about a year later. To get the best from it you have to have Automap installed, one hand on the mouse still and be permanently looking at your screen, which I think kind of defeats the purpose of a 'tactile controller'. Also, Automap was simply a pain in the arse and got quickly uninstalled.

However, this is not a diss to Novation as I subsequently bought a SL49 MKII which I use as my main controller and it performs very well (just no Automap - I use my own custom templates). Unlike the Nocturn, the SL's have an onboard display which tell you what's mapped to what when you touch the buttons.

[Johnny!]

I totally agree - if it weren't bought solely for the purpose of serving as a cheapest possible controller for Traktor Pro, it would just gather dust. on the other hand - why would you buy controller with crossfader for anything other than djing use?

[golemus]

I totally agree - if it weren't bought solely for the purpose of serving as a cheapest possible controller for Traktor Pro, it would just gather dust. on the other hand - why would you buy controller with crossfader for anything other than djing use?

Well if it were for me to decide i would remove the crossfader and accordingly make dimensions of the controller smaller.

hmm... maybe I should try it with traktor, although I do have also the M-Audio X-Session pro. Just out of curiosity how have you mapped it for Traktor...?

[Johnny!]

try it yourself:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/23787107/Trakt ... n_v2.0.zip

[ras.s]

How about using it to control mixer faders, aux sends and effect settings (cutoffs, resonances, delay times, modulation depths, etc) at mixdown? I don't have one, but that's what I would do with such a device.

[rodan]

I'm selling mine.

I personally was never able to find the thing useful. Takes too much time, duplicated vsts, added a bar beneath my vsts, etc.

Not a useful tool at all for me.