MIDI Controller Suggestions

[Steve]

Mostly, I use one at a time per device. But you could add them with a MIDI hub or thru box. I use the Retrikits RK006 or the iConnectivity Mio2 for this purpose. The Nakedboards offer USB and TRS MIDI.

[dc_Sux]

Those nakedboards look interesting. Is there a way to use them both at once with the bluebox? Usb hub? 3.5mm Midi merger? Or do you just use them separately?

[Steve]

BASTL makes interesting gear. Please report back if you try one a 60 knobs. I use the nakedboards MC-24 and MC-8 and they both work well over USB and TRS though they are TRS-A.

[joaoorecchia]

Has anyone tried the Bastl 60 Knobs with Bluebox? Seems like one could get a lot out of that if it plays nicely.

[dugout]

USB is always 5 Volts. USB 1 and 2 can provide up to 500 mA* and this is per the MIDI 1.0 spec.

AH! thanks for enlightening me!

[Steve]

USB is always 5 Volts. USB 1 and 2 can provide up to 500 mA* and this is per the MIDI 1.0 spec.

[dugout]

I suggest MIDI Fighter Twister for both Blackbox and Bluebox.

This is working great for me as well, though I wish I knew the power consumption for it and what kind of headroom i may be taking up or not. So I'm suggesting if this becomes more of a comprehensive list, it would be great to know what the max current can be drawn from the boxes out the Device input..

[0101-Usr]

Ok, I have new option! I connected Yamaha MD-BT01 Bluetooth Midi adapter via MIDI Merger and use android application (https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...midicontroller). This allow me to put 64 knobs on one tablet screen (and more "pages" of knobs, switches, pads etc). This is quite good option if you need control a lot of parameters in one place. It may control another devices from the same screen too.
For iOS there a lot more applications working via Bluetooth Midi.

[stoltenberg]

… +1 for the faderfox uc4. One of the most versatile controllers out there.

[spitlo]

I bought a Beatstep Pro yesterday and so far, I’d say it’s a perfect match. Since I have a blackbox as well, having different types of controls in the same unit is very convenient. I can put it in "Drum" mode and use the pads for drum programming, then switch to "Control" mode while listening back, and use the pads for mute/solo and the knobs for FX1/2 or whatever.

I’ve only used the knobs and the pads so far, if anyone has a similar setup I’d love to get some tips on ways to use the rest of the controls.

[jayneural]

I suggest MIDI Fighter Twister for both Blackbox and Bluebox.

[musicator]

Hello I can't see this video for setting blueblox and nanokontrol2 , I have tried it works ok but for exemple for pushing solo button it learn solo on but the button does not stay lit, my question is how the blueblox learn the button stay lit , sorry for my bad english ! Thanks

[0101-Usr]

I have another proposal - Arturia Beatstep (enough without "pro"). Although it is larger and heavier than the nanocontrol (which I have and use with the bluebox), it has one huge advantage – it has far more knobs to assign. For example, you can assign in bluebox:
- volume
- FX1
- FX2
- cutoff
- resonance
- others by preference (pan, out, gain etc)

With 8 channels and four effects, for example, we need 32 knobs/sliders. And here comes Arturia Beatstep with the ability to change the midi channel/project (in which we can have assigned a completely different CC to the knobs).

If you have much free midi channels, just teach bluebox to change the parameters on different channels. If you have few of them, then make projects in which the knobs will send different CC in different projects.

[RC Prime]

I find launch control xl to be a good controller overall, with good controls and a solid build, but has some serious shortcomings running in midi controller mode. My biggest complaint is that the button leds do nothing unless externally controlled, making mute and solo controls not very usable. It does have multiple user profiles though, so can be programmed to control pretty much everything available on the Bluebox.

Nanokontrol 2 has the advantage that the leds can be set to latch on, making it much more usable for mutes and solos. Downside is the fiddly little sliders, and no multiple profiles, which means having to choose what subset of controls to map.

These are the only 2 I've tried thus far, and while useful, I find there's much more they could do, e.g. having MMC to use the transport controls. I've put a request in the wish list to add HUI support in Bluebox, which would make these, and lots of other controllers that support it, much more powerful and essentially automatic.

For the moment I'm not going to spend any more money on midi controllers just to discover what disappointments they bring.

[trycatch]

Thank you, this is valuable information. I have now updated the original post.