Akai Advance keyboards

[rod_zero]

Akai just announced this:

http://www.akaipro.com/microsites/advance/#advance





I don't know if the concept is spot on, it needs a plug in host, people didn't liked that much automap for a similar reason (having to wrap plug ins).

It's a good step and an interesting one also, but being so software dependent I just can expect a lot of things to fail.

But what really strikes me is why on earth all manufacturers stick to only 8 encoders?

I am the only one who thinks that the actual obstacle to properly controlling plug ins is the lack of tactile control in all avaiable midi controllers?

The screen looks superb

[TrekStar]

...yep...Looks very interesting! I hope I can try em out somewhen this year. wondering how the keys and pads feel...

[AB69]

25 key controller that are semi weighted + after touch?

TYBG

[tropen]

Looks like a similar concept to the Komplete Kontrol series. If the 8 encoders can have different pages like the KKS does, then this might be a real good step in the right direction.

I'd say the only thing making the KKS keyboards stand out as of right now is the Light Guide and Touch Strips, since this new Akai plug in hosting software has yet to be used. The quality of the keybed will be a factor as well.

Using 3rd party VSTs is a feature I dream of for the KKS. Maybe this will put pressure on Native Instruments to pursue that in an update, but I HIGHLY doubt that.

[Sjefke]

Actually this is what komplete komtrol should have been.... It works with all VSTs

Would be nice to pit it on top of my Kawaii VPC1..... And then for the hard choice, add the Push or the new APC40...

[DJ Warmonger]

I like color LCD, good to finally see them coming on hardware.
Otherwise it's hard to spot actual features in this flashy video.

[AlesisVi61]

It looks a bit too much like the Komplete Kontrol(but otherwise a nice looking piece of gear) and much to my amusement,seems to make NI's controller into Komplete bullshit,by comparison.

Universal VST control,16GB of sounds included AND $100 cheaper than the Komplete Kontrol?Out-f**king-standing!
If I didn't already have half of all of the AIR instruments and I was still in need of a keyboard controller,I'd be all over this keyboard,like stink on shit.

[TwoToneshuzz]

I'm in the market for 61note controller like this, might be interesting..

[She Changed Her Mind]

I looks like candy, but I won't care. This could be a winner. Exciting stuff if it meets its prospects, if you would ask me. Count me in for the 49. My shop says ten weeks before they can deliver, I need 15 weeks to get the money I think.

[david.beholder]

Any advantages over novation automap?

[PALU]

Any advantages over novation automap?

For example - it's not a wrapper, which in my opinion is a better option. And the software - based on Big Tick's Zen - is an open format. That gives hope that if it goes down sometime in the future people will be able to take it on and give it some more life.

Give Zen a spin - IMHO it's a great patch librarian. And as far as I understand the mapping of the controls is more intelligent then in Automap - but we will see.

[david.beholder]

For example - it's not a wrapper, which in my opinion is a better option. And the software - based on Big Tick's Zen - is an open format. That gives hope that if it goes down sometime in the future people will be able to take it on and give it some more life..Give Zen a spin - IMHO it's a great patch librarian.

Zen is a universal presets manager.
It loads in any host as a vsti, and acts as a loader for other vstis.

Vsti that hosts another vsti, not a wrapper, REALLY?

And as far as I understand the mapping of the controls is more intelligent then in Automap - but we will see.

What does it mean 'more intellegent'?

[PALU]

For example - it's not a wrapper

Zen is a universal presets manager.
It loads in any host as a vsti, and acts as a loader for other vstis.

Vsti that hosts another vsti, not a wrapper, REALLY?

Sorry - maybe I misunderstood the word "wrapper". I mean - it's not creating new DLLs like Automap (it was like that when I used Automap long time ago) - Zen hosts plugins. I thought hosting plugins is not wrapping plugins - but after reading some more posts about Akai Advance software I think I misunderstood that.

And as far as I understand the mapping of the controls is more intelligent then in Automap - but we will see.

What does it mean 'more intellegent'?

I can be totally wrong - you have to ask Big Tick for the details. But I think I read somewhere here on KVR that it will have the controls premapped in some more usable way than the random way of Automap.

[david.beholder]

For example - it's not a wrapper

Zen is a universal presets manager.
It loads in any host as a vsti, and acts as a loader for other vstis.

Vsti that hosts another vsti, not a wrapper, REALLY?

Sorry - maybe I misunderstood the word "wrapper". I mean - it's not creating new DLLs like Automap (it was like that when I used Automap long time ago) - Zen hosts plugins. I thought hosting plugins is not wrapping plugins - but after reading some more posts about Akai Advance software I think I misunderstood that.

Well it is: host -> wrapper plugin -> instrument plugin and it looks they just trying to avoid Novation patents, if it's possible.

And as far as I understand the mapping of the controls is more intelligent then in Automap - but we will see.

What does it mean 'more intellegent'?

I can be totally wrong - you have to ask Big Tick for the details. But I think I read somewhere here on KVR that it will have the controls premapped in some more usable way than the random way of Automap.

Automap also could be in premapped mode, if vst vendors has desire to support novation api

[Big Tick]

Wrapping, hosting, it's all a matter of terminology... The fact is, VIP doesn't create new dll's so you don't have all these additional plugins showing up everywhere. There are lots of benefits to this approach, here are 3:
- you can switch plugins on the fly with just one click (or one button press from the hardware).
- you can use your vst instruments in Logic or Pro-Tools.
- you can create 'multi' presets which consists of layers / splits of several vst instruments.

About the "intelligent" controls, for each control you can specify a min / max value, reverse mode, bipolar mode for knobs, step mode and toggle/momentary modes for buttons. You can define mappings that are global to a plugin, or customize them per patch.

Finally, it comes with the factory patches already tagged and the mappings already done, for hundreds of plugins.