Looking for a USB controller for DAW & plug-ins

[ofajen]

I'm using Ableton Live 6 on a Mac G4. Also, the M-Tron soft synth. I already have a DrumKAT and a MIDI keyboard running into a little MOTU FastLane. I'd like to be able to plug a controller in using USB and control stuff within Live, perhaps faders, sends, pans and plug-in parameters on M-Tron and other plug-ins within Live. The Novation Remote Zero SL looks interesting. I hate to even ponder Behringer gear but the BCR-2000 is supported by Live and pretty cheap. And the Behringer Nano is really, really cheap, though it won't do a full bank of parameters. How about the evolution UC-33e? Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks!

Otto

 

[altitude909]

I love Novation controllers so I'll always recommend those. The cheaper ones (m-audio, evolution etc) have the big drawback of having a poor display system . Usually its just a number which corresponds what value the CC is and possibly what cc channel it is sending on, this gets old pretty quick especially if you change scenes a lot.

The remote SL (including the zero) maps all the parameters automatically (if your app supports auto map) and each control has a little screen which tells you what is what.

The behringer stuff (from what I understand) is ok however be warned that it does not do realtime recording like a motorized console will. This means if you are using the flying faders automated by your software mixer you cannot grab and change the fader as it is moving, u need to re-record the automation to change it. Plus I dont know of any plugins that actually send their control locations as a midi out so I don't really see either the faderbox or LED ring one as being that useful

 

[ofajen]

I love Novation controllers so I'll always recommend those. The cheaper ones (m-audio, evolution etc) have the big drawback of having a poor display system . Usually its just a number which corresponds what value the CC is and possibly what cc channel it is sending on, this gets old pretty quick especially if you change scenes a lot.

The remote SL (including the zero) maps all the parameters automatically (if your app supports auto map) and each control has a little screen which tells you what is what.

Thanks! It seems the first Remote Zeroes should be showing up soon, so it's probably just a matter of saving the dough. OTOH, the little 25 key version would fit nicely on my table here and doesn't cost much more.... hmmm....

Cheers,

Otto