Best MPE controller?

[Tj Shredder]

But I bet you can't play some stuff one could easily achieve on a regular keyboard.

You can even play things that are not that easy on a keyboard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5E57qRu8zw
Though I could never do this on a keyboard (as I lost interest in acquiring skills on a keyboard) and for LinnStrument I would need much more practicing... (I am simply too lazy...)
And not to forget, you can play chords with one hand that span much more than one octave easily. Absolutely impossible on a keyboard...

[EvilDragon]

That was a pretty good rendition with minor flubs, but yeah, something I didn't see people used LinnStrument for. Thanks for the share!

Bach's prelude is not THAT difficult to play on a regular keyboard tho... Now if you said some Chopin, or Rachmaninoff, or Liszt... that's way more difficult! And I am not convinced LS would make those any easier to play. Or, say, some of the shredding that Jens Johansson or Ruddess do, for example... Just don't see those as readily feasible on LS or Roli or Continuum tbh.

But, yeah - it's all tradeoffs in the end!

[pdxindy]

LinnStrument without doubt. I tried all...
But there is a new kid on the block comming soon:
https://www.embodme.com/
Could be an alternative... I ordered one...

Nice, that's the one I was leaning towards! Should I go for the 128 or the other one you think?

When I got it there was only the big one. Its was worth every penny I paid...
I was thinking about getting a small one as well, as the big one is complicated in a plane. But I got a Sensel in addition, and made a LinStru Mini layout I am quite happy with it, as alternative for traveling and jamming in the park...
The Erae Touch is shorter but wider than the LinnStrument. I can’t say yet if it is recommendable as it didn’t arrive yet...
Roger Linns support is the absolute best in the whole industry, you can’t be wrong in getting a LinnStrument... The big one is better if you plan to learn playing with two hands... But its also a matter of price, the small one is significantly cheaper...

Other benefits of the Linnstrument:
• Doesn't need a computer.
• Has no configuration software and all the configuration is done on the Linnstrument. It is a truly brilliant interface.
• Linnstrument has USB and DIN Midi so I can plug it directly into any older synth or other gear that has a midi in.
• It is designed to be repairable. For example, one can order a replacement surface and change it oneself.
• Roger Linn said if he ever were to make a Linnstrument 2 (no such plan is there), current users would be able to upgrade their Linnstruments with the new insides. So no planned obsolescence.

and yeah, as TJ said, Roger's support is truly exceptional.

[EvilDragon]

That truly cannot be disputed, Roger designed LS impeccably in all aspects. In fact, that fact alone will probably make me get one eventually, even if I end up sucking really badly on it (I already suck horribly with Roli...).

[pdxindy]

Or, say, some of the shredding that Jens Johansson or Ruddess do, for example... Just don't see those as readily feasible on LS or Roli or Continuum tbh.

You are lumping the Linnstrument, Roli and Continuum into one group and they are very different from each other. I can play as fast or faster on the Linnstrument as I can on a regular keyboard. The touch is light, needs less downward travel and the distance between notes is smaller. Any fast shredding can be done on the Linnstrument for sure. It is just a matter of developed skill, not a limitation of the tool.

That is not the case on the Continuum. The Continuum needs an amount and type of non-instant pressure that limits speed. Maybe if my fingers were stronger that would be a benefit, but I cannot play it fast.

[Tj Shredder]

That was a pretty good rendition with minor flubs, but yeah, something I didn't see people used LinnStrument for. Thanks for the share!

Bach's prelude is not THAT difficult to play on a regular keyboard tho... Now if you said some Chopin, or Rachmaninoff, or Liszt... that's way more difficult! And I am not convinced LS would make those any easier to play. Or, say, some of the shredding that Jens Johansson or Ruddess do, for example... Just don't see those as readily feasible on LS or Roli or Continuum tbh.

But, yeah - it's all tradeoffs in the end!

In a way Chopin, Liszt and Rachmaninoff composed for the piano, it would need all the physical nuances of a real Piano to make it shine. Same with Paganini and the violin... No point to play any of that on a LinnStrument, unless you want to show off or just being curious if its possible at all... I guess it will need some time until some great composers start to compose virtuoso pieces for expressive instruments... There is some classical literature for the Ondes Martenot and the Trautonium. Those pieces would shine on the LinnStrument for sure. And anything which isn’t bound too much to a specific instrument like most of Bachs pieces are good to transcribe... I got interested to learn a Biber Sonata, though its violin specific, but I guess I need some more years to get to that point...; - )
But just improvising and noodling is so much fun already...

[Tj Shredder]

Or, say, some of the shredding that Jens Johansson or Ruddess do, for example... Just don't see those as readily feasible on LS or Roli or Continuum tbh.

Jordan Rudess shredding? Its not the LinnStrument but close enough with his Geoshred:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXYm98Lkaew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBleY_iNsH4
The LinnStrument could do even more, as it has better Velocity, Aftertouch and Release...

[EvilDragon]

My personal yardstick is if somebody could pull off the intro solo from Sonata Arctica's "The Cage" on an LinnStrument. It's rather tricky even on regular keyboard.

I know this is beside the point wrt these controllers, but I'm still curious if it's actually possible xD

[zerocrossing]

so linnstrument it is then?

Personally, I’ve only seen a few performances on a Linnstrument that were somewhat decent. I suspect the pads are just too small to made subtle changes in an easy way. On the other hand, there are scores of Roli Rise 49 demos that have really great performances. I went with the 49 and I’m really happy and as a guitar player, it was still pretty easy to get good results fairly quickly. That would be my recommendation.

[killmaster]

I'm surprised no one is mentioning the K-Board Pro 4. I tend to gravitate to it. I have a Seaboard which I love but it's really such a different playing experience and I'm glad I have it. The K-Board is super well built and has a tactile feel I really like. The editor is very flexible and the functionality is very well thought out. In terms of "glide" or continuous pitch bend, you can assign it to one of the sliders, or wiggle on keys for a more limited amount. I really like how glide works on the Roli, but I find the K-Board's implementation of bending useful in many ways also. The only thing I don't care for is that the Bitwig K-Board MPE script filters out all the non MPE data for some reason, so it doesn't pass pedal info to the track. I've written support about it and I think they are working on revising it. The aftertouch feeling is great and fine enough to feel control. Keys are overall very sensitive and have enough resolution to make small movements work. wiggling the keys for pitch bend reminds me a little of the feeling of the Linnstrument, but the surface area is a little larger and easier for me.

[zerocrossing]

I think there’s no single MPE interface that will satisfy everyone. I once thought that the Rise 49 would become my only controller, but the truth is I don’t like it for many things, though I love it for some things. I think a Rise 49 and an Osmose would really be the perfect combo for me, but I missed the Osmose preorder and it looks like they’re having a lot of trouble shipping.

[EvilDragon]

The whole world has trouble with global electronics shortage...

[thresholdpeople]

Has anyone tried the Joyst JV1? Hard to get a read from their site what the actual deal is, how it works, if it's programmable, etc. But it seems like it's a pretty interesting interface.

[Tj Shredder]

My personal yardstick is if somebody could pull off the intro solo from Sonata Arctica's "The Cage" on an LinnStrument. It's rather tricky even on regular keyboard.

I know this is beside the point wrt these controllers, but I'm still curious if it's actually possible xD

I didn’t come across Sonata Arctica yet, but listening to those solos, they are highly inspired by guitar solos. That they are tricky on a regular keyboard is because those instruments have little in common. I bet it would be even easier on a Linnstrument. The one aspect which would be pretty different is the bending. Jan Hammer was famous for playing guitar solos on a keyboard, one of the few who could do that.
On the other hand it would be more interesting to play new stuff, the music which fits directly to such a controller.

[Tj Shredder]

Has anyone tried the Joyst JV1? Hard to get a read from their site what the actual deal is, how it works, if it's programmable, etc. But it seems like it's a pretty interesting interface.

It seems to be a toy with joy sticks... Hard to imagine to be useful at all. The hex layout is quite common, but I guess its hard to control, as a joystick will just jump to the side arbitrarily if you’d play fast... The videos are not convincing...