KVR Audio

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:44 am

For 250 bucks with a copy of Live Lite and S1 Artist these is a great little package, keyboard, loop launcher and step sequencer in one and all pads velocity and pressure sensitive. I think the fact that they are including Ableton Lite pretty much lets you know there are no plans to turn S1 in to a loop player! I think backing up the 'step editor' route is a much better idea personally.

Bit more marketing....

''If you’re looking for a complete package for making music and programming beats, check out the PreSonus ATOM SQ, a versatile tool that offers an intuitive performance layout with 32 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads that will suit keyboard players, step-sequencer aficionados, and button mashers alike. The ATOM SQ has one single aim for producers and composers: it helps you lay down beats, harmonies, and melodies without oppressive menu diving or endless configurations.

The ATOM SQ makes use of an ergonomic arrangement of pads that will look familiar to players and drum programmers equally. Eight rotary encoders can be configured with almost any software parameter in your host DAW, making controlling your software a breeze. An intuitive display screen changes to fit the context and provides valuable information, including CC assignments and more. Built in to the unit is a Constrain to Scale feature that eliminates the possibility of playing a bum note within a specific scale, thereby making composition easy, as well as fun.

All of this is bus powered by your computer, making the ATOM SQ eminently portable. This is an ideal controller for PreSonus Studio One. Indeed, it’s so suited for the task that PreSonus Studio One Artist is included. Ableton Live Lite is also supplied with the controller, so you can use it with that venerated program of programs! Two loop packs are also on hand, as is a custom-curated content library specifically tailored for the ATOM SQ.''

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:46 am

antic604 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:04 am
LocalTrack19 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 8:52 amThe SQ starts to resemble a midi keyboard if you ask me, not sure whether I like it or not
It looks similar to this, for example:

I definitely appreciate USB-power and the fact how small Atom SQ is (the knobs look HUGE on it, so it must be small, right?). If the integration & feature set is on point, then it might be pretty great indeed, especially at this price point.

The KORG controllers are so ugly... you're right though, the Presonus controllers aren't much better.

Well, it's subjective, I guess. That black and white dull look doesn't do anything for me. And the rainbow colours when you turn the controller on do neither.

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 9:56 am

The screen (on the SQ) may make a big difference if it has been done right (nice to know what the knobs are controlling for example!). The touch strip may be fun...at the end of the day its all about how well its integrated it is with S1 (particularly the step sequencer) and Live (explains why SQ was already added to Live beta!)

gentleclockdivider · Post by **gentleclockdivider** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:10 am

Or maybe ..just maybe they included live in the studio one artist version because the new grid launch is reserved for Stu-1 pro-version .

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:23 am

Maybe, the controller is certainly set up to do clip launching but I think this may be a bit much for S1 as it already has the pattern editor (and the patterns can be played in blocks) and the arranger (which looks like it has had a bit of an upgrade) so maybe you can use the arranger track (a bit more like Maschine does) to play/mix a song live?

antic604 · Post by **antic604** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:34 am

SLiC wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:23 am...the controller is certainly set up to do clip launching...

Is it? Just when I first saw it I thought clip launching is out, due to vertically misaligned pads - that would be pretty confusing to use for clip launching. I even think it's confusing also for chromatic playing, because not all notes have flats/sharps although this can be addressed by just dimming the 'wrong' pads I guess. It's a weird design and my main concern.

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:41 am

antic604 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:34 am
SLiC wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:23 am...the controller is certainly set up to do clip launching...
Is it? Just when I first saw it I thought clip launching is out, due to vertically misaligned pads - that would be pretty confusing to use for clip launching. I even think it's confusing also for chromatic playing, because not all notes have flats/sharps although this can be addressed by just dimming the 'wrong' pads I guess. It's a weird design and my main concern.

It may just do one line at a time (its 16 pads wide) or maybe 2 but given it seems to have been designed for Live 'as well' and is a dedicated controller in Live (beta) you can be pretty sure it launches clips (how well it does it is a different matter!)

The keyboard I assume will light up in 'scales' as it has that function, may actually be quite useful (a bit Komplete Kontrol like) - there is potential for a decent range (especially if you play a lot of pentonics like I do

) with velocity and polyphonic aftertouch.....

Stan Navi · Post by **Stan Navi** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 12:00 pm

Even Atom launches clips, so Atom SQ definitely should do it.

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 12:04 pm

If they use 4 colours they will have 4 x 8 rows (1/2 a launchpad!), shouldn't be too hard to get your head around.

Hewitt Huntwork · Post by **Hewitt Huntwork** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 12:59 pm

Nobody noticed the words "Poly Pressure" on the SQ screenshot?

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:02 pm

Hewitt Huntwork wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 12:59 pm Nobody noticed the words "Poly Pressure" on the SQ screenshot?

My post 3 up from yours mentions the polyphonic aftertouch.....

''The touch strips can be assigned to control any parameter from filter cutoff to panning, while the 32 pressure- and velocity-sensitive pads support polyphonic aftertouch. ''

auricle · Post by **auricle** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:10 pm

But doesn't the original Atom support poly aftertouch?

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:18 pm

I'm not sure about the ATOM, but its probably more useful on a 2 octave keyboard with selectable scales...

Hewitt Huntwork · Post by **Hewitt Huntwork** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:20 pm

SLiC wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:02 pm
Hewitt Huntwork wrote: ↑Tue Jul 07, 2020 12:59 pm Nobody noticed the words "Poly Pressure" on the SQ screenshot?
My post 3 up from yours mentions the polyphonic aftertouch.....

''The touch strips can be assigned to control any parameter from filter cutoff to panning, while the 32 pressure- and velocity-sensitive pads support polyphonic aftertouch. ''

I meant nobody else besides US.

wuworld · Post by **wuworld** » Tue Jul 07, 2020 1:56 pm

I see the word "beatmaking" quite a bit. I fit that category doing hip hop/pop. This isn't it unfortunately with this new Atom. I come from using Maschine etc, and so with the Atom Presonus are trying to get that customer base. Your not getting the pro producers or hobbyist beatmakers who come from Maschine etc to make beats with this. Maybe the bed room guys that wanna just live performance, and nothing else. Akai came out with the fire with FL, and NI tried with Jam and the live performance thing. Both failed... The next Atom will have the be the first one combined with the sq 2. Put the touch strip and screen on the first one atom controller, and make $400. If Presonus want to be taken serious by the beatmaking audience who come from Maschine, MPC they will need to do this. Or else you will have nobody showcasing the atom for the audience you are trying to get. As of right now the market is dominated by music producers.

Studio One Version 5.0 Predictions and Requests