Music Making

[Sherwood]

 

[ironbut]

Finally got my Keylab 61 Mk2 today!

So far I've only done some exercises (scales) and so far so good.

The keybed is quiet and very well made (my main concern). The action is synthy and the keys don't go as deeply as on a real piano and the black keys are a tiny bit narrower than on my old Novation Impulse.

I'm sure it won't take very long before I don't notice the difference at all.

I don't think you could ask for better build quality and it has a nice modern look to the printing and finish.

I'm still downloading the software but I don't expect to be using it except to demo a few instruments (like the cs 80!!) for the future. I'm pretty happy with the instruments I have right now and I'm trying to concentrate on making music with what I have.

Feel free to ask any questions.

 

[VPI]

Nice, the smaller version is what I would have gotten if it was ever in stock. 

[Dusty Chalk]

7 hours ago, ironbut said:

Finally got my Keylab 61 Mk2 today!

So far I've only done some exercises (scales) and so far so good.

The keybed is quiet and very well made (my main concern). The action is synthy and the keys don't go as deeply as on a real piano and the black keys are a tiny bit narrower than on my old Novation Impulse.

I'm sure it won't take very long before I don't notice the difference at all.

I don't think you could ask for better build quality and it has a nice modern look to the printing and finish.

I'm still downloading the software but I don't expect to be using it except to demo a few instruments (like the cs 80!!) for the future. I'm pretty happy with the instruments I have right now and I'm trying to concentrate on making music with what I have.

Feel free to ask any questions.

 

How’s the aftertouch?

[VPI]

I am trying to get my head around the bizarre function of Ableton Live.  I think 70% of the time it is all down to luck whether or not something works or not when using the software.  Everything about it seems like it was designed to make you go through extra hoops to do simple things.

[ironbut]

Ableton is different from most other DAW's other than Bitwig.

The latest version of Logic added some Ableton-ish features that makes performance with a Session View sort of a GUI available.

They don't call Ableton , "Live" for nothing.

I think it's the DAW most easily integrated into a Euro Rack/modular system.

Sampler/Simpler and the new Wavetable synths are awesome. That and Max for Live are the the main selling points for me.

Unfortunately (or maybe not) this stuff is kinda rocket science. It takes patience, time, and lots of drive (10% inspiration and 90%...).

 

Dusty, tried a few CS-80 patches with aftertouch and it's surprisingly good.

Maybe not in the same league as my Roli Rise 49 MPE controller but I think I'll spend some time in that rabbit hole after I finish the music I'm working on right now.

The included Analog Lab are a pretty long list of presets but it's not the full modeled CS-80 that you can create your own patches.

Still, it's pretty cool!

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, thanks for trying it out.  I look forward to your continued thoughts.

 I actually have the full suite of emulations from Arturia, including the CS-80, will have to get back into it.  Just stuck playing with the Prophet 6 these days.

The Prophet 6 has velocity and aftertouch, but the aftertouch is almost a plateau, like a soft step function, which therefore makes it not very expressive at all, so I hardly use it.

[Sherwood]

I switched from Logic to Ableton five years ago and I feel pretty comfortable in it.  I watch plenty of tutorials and still think "ho-lee-shit.  That's how they do that." all the time, but that's part of the fun.

I use it on Windows, which is total blasphemy and I understand if none of you want to talk to me ever again.

[VPI]

So do you guys have the V series or whatever and full Analog labs?  The little keyboard only came with Lite so I am trying to figure out if I upgrade to full Labs and V.  Does not appear I can get the vintage Roland synths there but I am not sure.

[ironbut]

Your KeyLab 2 should come with the full Analog Labs.

There's a software package that you can download when you register the Keylab.

[VPI]

Ah, glad i did not pay the $69 for the upgrade.  Thanks for the info.

[acidbasement]

Hey @ironbut what are the pads like on the Keylab? I'm interested in finger drumming, and wondering if I should just get a Roland Handsonic.

[ironbut]

The pads are smaller than standard Akai type pads.

They're 25 x 20 mm.

One feature that I like with pad and the keyboard is the velocity curve can be quickly changed between 3 settings. The most compressed setting decreases the difference between high a low velocities. 

The sensitivity changes quite a bit with the different setting too (the volume is about 2x higher between the lowest to highest setting with identical ergs).

Overall, I'd consider the pad to be better than average.

I'd love to try a Handsonic. 

I'm sure there's no comparison to the expression you could produce with something like that.

Pretty pricy though.

[VPI]

Got the keylab today.  Much nicer to have the extra keys, but I actually like the feel of my Yamaha Digital and the Moog a bit better.  As far as I can tell the pads on the Keylab are the same ones as on the Minilab MKII.  Are these better than the ones on the Deluge Iain?

I need to get the real stand in for the Keylab MKII as it is sitting on a crappy synth stand now and I could not really use the pads without getting bounce and vibration from the stand.

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by VPI

[acidbasement]

15 hours ago, VPI said:

Are these better than the ones on the Deluge Iain?

The Deluge pads are tiny, and fine for what they are - you can play them with fingertips easily enough, though I would really like it if they were velocity-sensitive (hence my search for a separate midi controller). The Arturia pads are more performance-focused, and you'd be able to drum on them better. Maschine and MPC pads are considered some of the best for finger-drumming expression, but that means learning a new ecosystem.

Edited August 18, 2020 by acidbasement

[VPI]

Okay. The Beep Boop Machines continue to stack upon my desk. 
 

 

[acidbasement]

You're gonna need a bigger desk.

[VPI]

Finding the Deluge to be a blast, even for someone with no musicilogical talents.  Mostly just stacking clips and taking them back off.  

[acidbasement]

You can make clips longer or shorter by single steps using SHIFT + turning the horizontal arrow knob at top left, or you can double their length including contents by holding SHIFT and pressing that knob down. That way you can make clips of infinite length if you want. 

[Dusty Chalk]

Discovered my Prophet 6 has a myriad of alternate tunings, including 19, 24, and 31 tone equal temperament, so the 49-note keyboard suddenly becomes limiting.  Anyone know of any reasonably priced hex / Sonome style keyboards?  The only ones I know are the Lumatone and the Starr Labs ones.

Opal—oob 

C-Thru Axis — ooB

Yeco/large touchscreen ?

Sensel Morph

Xotopad

OSC/Pilot

[VPI]

These Onstage stands are not so great so I think I will need to get something better.  Are there any good options for a tiny keyboard and a large keyboard stacked?
 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by VPI

[Grahame]

The Other Tech  Collector

https://djtechzone.com/superstar-djs-and-their-gear-dj-jazzy-jeff/

[grawk]

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AX48ProPlus--ultimate-support-apex-ax-48-pro-plus?mrkgadid=3281233240&mrkgcl=28&mrkgen=gpla&mrkgbflag=0&mrkgcat=keyboards&synthesizers=&acctid=21700000001645388&dskeywordid=92700046937741301&lid=92700046937741301&ds_s_kwgid=58700005287622121&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000007215323&dsproductgroupid=491432491837&product_id=AX48ProPlus&prodctry=US&prodlang=en&channel=online&storeid=&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&locationid=9013403&creative=217452498629&targetid=pla-491432491837&campaignid=916403487&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4py87rmq6wIVCoeGCh0hrAZ8EAQYCSABEgJ-fvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Dusty Chalk]

9 hours ago, VPI said:

These Onstage stands are not so great so I think I will need to get something better.  Are there any good options for a tiny keyboard and a large keyboard stacked?
 

 

Custom jobby from M&O Enterprises?  

I have a ProLine x-style for the Prophet 6 that’s probably just as good as the Onstage, and I think I had an Onstage before, because I remember hating those little arms for the second tier.  I wouldn’t trust those things with anything, including what was underneath on the first tier.

You may want to just go studio and get something like...

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Nucleus002--ultimate-support-nucleus-2-workstation

[VPI]

I was looking at the different studio desks that Facebook recommends to me because you like them.  Could be a nice setup.  I fixed this one a bit by making a new hole to lock in the left arm so that I could at least get the Moog level.