EXS 24 Logic Sampler Users Group

Hi everyone,
I need a very small keyboard controller....usb.. for a gig in Europe.  
Space and weight are really tight.   I'm trying to get by just taking 
my laptop and the controller....Even trying to leave the mt4 at home.  
The Edirol PCR 30 has my interest right now.  It is a little large but 
at the same time I"m wondering if 32 keys is enough.  The size and 
weight of the 25 key models is more attractive. Is it so easy to octave 
shift (in performance) that the no of keys isn't really an issue?  I 
don't think I want to mess with mini keys and I need velocity 
sensitivity.   Does anyone have any experience using these things with 
Logic and the EXS?  I'd appreciate the input.  Thanks a bunch in 
advance.

julie

Tibook with vxpocket....Logic Platinum 6.3.2 and MKII

Check out M-Audio's Oxygen 8. I power mine from a usb
port on the A6/2m.


=====


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Hey from Sweden, Julie,
I'm using the Radium 49 with my G4 PB 1,33 and latest platinum...works like 
a charm w exs etc. best,mn


>From: Julie Larson <julielarson@...>
>Reply-To: exs-users@yahoogroups.com
>To: exs-users@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [EXS] compact keyboard controllers
>Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 19:16:32 -0600
>
>Hi everyone,
>I need a very small keyboard controller....usb.. for a gig in Europe.
>Space and weight are really tight.   I'm trying to get by just taking
>my laptop and the controller....Even trying to leave the mt4 at home.
>The Edirol PCR 30 has my interest right now.  It is a little large but
>at the same time I"m wondering if 32 keys is enough.  The size and
>weight of the 25 key models is more attractive. Is it so easy to octave
>shift (in performance) that the no of keys isn't really an issue?  I
>don't think I want to mess with mini keys and I need velocity
>sensitivity.   Does anyone have any experience using these things with
>Logic and the EXS?  I'd appreciate the input.  Thanks a bunch in
>advance.
>
>julie
>
>Tibook with vxpocket....Logic Platinum 6.3.2 and MKII
>
>

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On Feb 25, 2004, at 6:15 AM, exs-users@yahoogroups.com wrote:

> Subject: compact keyboard controllers
>
> Hi everyone,
> I need a very small keyboard controller....usb.. for a gig in Europe.
> Space and weight are really tight.   I'm trying to get by just taking
> my laptop and the controller....Even trying to leave the mt4 at home.
> The Edirol PCR 30 has my interest right now.  It is a little large but
> at the same time I"m wondering if 32 keys is enough.  The size and
> weight of the 25 key models is more attractive. Is it so easy to octave
> shift (in performance) that the no of keys isn't really an issue?  I
> don't think I want to mess with mini keys and I need velocity
> sensitivity.   Does anyone have any experience using these things with
> Logic and the EXS?  I'd appreciate the input.  Thanks a bunch in
> advance.
>
Hi Julie,
	I have been using the OXygen 8, 25-key controller and changing octaves  
is easy, but the display doesn't have a way to stay lit to indicate  
which octave you're in.
	It is set up with Up/Down buttons and pressing both of them at once  
takes you back to the center of the octave range, which I think had  
been established as C3. Pressing the Up key displays a "U1" and so on,  
and down displays a "D1" etc. If you can't remember where you are, as I  
sometimes do, I just press them both to center it.
	But, yeah...it's as easy as that. The Ozone offers some more frills:
http://www.midiman.net/index.php? 
do=products.main&ID=22c0c13f67ee52420afb8f23c8d6646f
	The Oxy 8 is cheaper.
http://www.midiman.net/index.php? 
do=products.main&ID=b4a8849dceaffac747e83be310498fa8

>

-----
.::. Always assume your guest is tired, cold, and hungry, and act  
accordingly .::.
(Navajo)
-----
J.  Arthur Lee
Apple Certified Technician
208.368.0054
http://myweb.cableone.net/stellar808/



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi,

On Feb 25, 2004, at 7:31 PM, someone wrote,
  > Subject: compact keyboard controllers
  >
  > Hi everyone,
  > I need a very small keyboard controller....usb.. for a gig in Europe.
  > Space and weight are really tight.   I'm trying to get by just taking
  > my laptop and the controller....Even trying to leave the mt4 at home.
  > The Edirol PCR 30 has my interest right now.  It is a little large 
but
  > at the same time I"m wondering if 32 keys is enough.  The size and
  > weight of the 25 key models is more attractive. Is it so easy to 
octave
  > shift (in performance) that the no of keys isn't really an issue?  I
  > don't think I want to mess with mini keys and I need velocity
  > sensitivity.   Does anyone have any experience using these things 
with
  > Logic and the EXS?  I'd appreciate the input.  Thanks a bunch in
  > advance.

Of the small USB keyboard controllers, I liked the Edirol PCR-30 the 
best.  It seems to have the best feel (to me).  Having said that, I 
ended up buying the Oxygen-8.  Not because it was the nicest, but 
because it was cheap (it was about $100 cheaper) and Midiman makes a 
backpack that will fit the Oxygen-8 plus a Powerbook as well as a bunch 
of other things (like my FW drive and iPod).  It probably has the worst 
feel - the keys feel spongey and the velocity tracking isn't very 
accurate (but that could be due to the crappy keyboard itself).  On the 
positive side, I don't have any problems with the drivers in Panther 
(or in Jaguar or even OS9) and it gets the job done and does pretty 
much everything that I need it to.

I use it simply to key in parts.  Anything that requires that my played 
in feel is accurate and I jump to a better keyboard controller.  This 
thing works great though for sequencing when I'm not in my studio and 
I've got some time to spare.  Switching octaves on the fly is pretty 
easy.  However, the buttons aren't exactly built like a tank.  I've had 
them double press even though I only pressed them once so you may need 
to be careful with it.

Evolution makes a comparable keyboard for roughly the same amount of 
money.  It feels a bit better but I don't have much experience with it. 
  The Edirol one has a nice feel and, I believe it even has aftertouch 
on the keys (big bonus IMHO but you would have to check that out to be 
sure - my memory may be fuzzy).

HTH,
Fernstudio


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In exs-users@yahoogroups.com, Julie Larson <julielarson@m...> 
wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> I need a very small keyboard controller....usb.. for a gig in 
Europe.  
> Space and weight are really tight.   I'm trying to get by just 
taking 
> my laptop and the controller....Even trying to leave the mt4 at 
home.  
> The Edirol PCR 30 has my interest right now.  It is a little large 
but 
> at the same time I"m wondering if 32 keys is enough.  The size and 
> weight of the 25 key models is more attractive. Is it so easy to 
octave 
> shift (in performance) that the no of keys isn't really an issue?  
I 
> don't think I want to mess with mini keys and I need velocity 
> sensitivity.   Does anyone have any experience using these things 
with 
> Logic and the EXS?  I'd appreciate the input.  Thanks a bunch in 
> advance.
> 
Hi Julie :-)))

Nice to see you here! LOL
What about the M - Audio Oxygen?
They have it at www.klangfarbe.at

Liebe Grüße
Maya :-)

Julie Larson wrote:
>> Hi everyone,
>> I need a very small keyboard controller....usb.. for a gig in Europe.
>> Space and weight are really tight.   I'm trying to get by just taking
>> my laptop and the controller....Even trying to leave the mt4 at home.
>> The Edirol PCR 30 has my interest right now.  It is a little large but
>> at the same time I"m wondering if 32 keys is enough.  The size and
>> weight of the 25 key models is more attractive. Is it so easy to octave
>> shift (in performance) that the no of keys isn't really an issue?  I
>> don't think I want to mess with mini keys and I need velocity
>> sensitivity.   Does anyone have any experience using these things with
>> Logic and the EXS?  I'd appreciate the input.  Thanks a bunch in
>> advance.

Have you checked out the new smaller keyboard from Edirol? the PCR-1. That
looks great for you. It's super slim and light and it even has an audio
interface in it.

I have a PCR-30 and the build quality is better than the Oxygen. plus with
Edirol you get buttons etc...

Also, if you're using Logic you'll want to check this out:
http://www.opuslocus.com/lcxmu/

good luck,
Teddy Kumpel

Julie Larson wrote:
>> Hi everyone,
>> I need a very small keyboard controller....usb.. for a gig in Europe.
>> Space and weight are really tight.   I'm trying to get by just taking
>> my laptop and the controller....Even trying to leave the mt4 at home.
>> The Edirol PCR 30 has my interest right now.  It is a little large but
>> at the same time I"m wondering if 32 keys is enough.  The size and
>> weight of the 25 key models is more attractive. Is it so easy to octave
>> shift (in performance) that the no of keys isn't really an issue?  I
>> don't think I want to mess with mini keys and I need velocity
>> sensitivity.   Does anyone have any experience using these things with
>> Logic and the EXS?  I'd appreciate the input.  Thanks a bunch in
>> advance.

oh ya, the link for the PCR-1....

http://www.edirol.com/products/info/pcr1.html

Teddy Kumpel

i can only say: GIVE MINIKEYS A CHANCE.

i have found tha i will adapt to them very fast and would never go back to
such few keys as on the normal size compact controller like the oxygen.

i never never understand why one would wandt large keys since there are to
few for "serius" play anyway.

go check,
midi keys are great and give you more i think.

my 2c.

u.

> Hi everyone,
> I need a very small keyboard controller....usb.. for a gig in Europe.
> Space and weight are really tight.   I'm trying to get by just taking
> my laptop and the controller....Even trying to leave the mt4 at home.
> The Edirol PCR 30 has my interest right now.  It is a little large but
> at the same time I"m wondering if 32 keys is enough.  The size and
> weight of the 25 key models is more attractive. Is it so easy to octave
> shift (in performance) that the no of keys isn't really an issue?  I
> don't think I want to mess with mini keys and I need velocity
> sensitivity.   Does anyone have any experience using these things with
> Logic and the EXS?  I'd appreciate the input.  Thanks a bunch in
> advance.
> 
> julie
> 
> Tibook with vxpocket....Logic Platinum 6.3.2 and MKII

Sorry about that last post.  I meant to close the window...but the send 
button got in the way.  Oops....anyway....Thanks everyone for the all 
the great input.  This list is so helpful.


>  ended up buying the Oxygen-8.  Not because it was the nicest, but
>  because it was cheap (it was about $100 cheaper)

there's only about 35 dollars difference now.  The PCR 30 can be found 
for $155 these days.  I went ahead and bought it.  I need some time to 
check it out before I go.  Hopefully it will be the right thing.   the 
units with more octaves and minikeys gave me some pause.  I'm just 
worried about toy keys in performance...of course...I'm also worried 
about switching octaves in performance.  : {


Thanks again for all the great help.

julie



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