Found a great pad controller

doogler63 · Post by **doogler63** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:56 am

Hello , l am looking at a novation launchpad controller to use with my korg kronos to trigger the pads instead of using the screen as a pad controller,has anyone any idea if this controller works at all, please note that this unit only has USB output and no midi in or out.

Thank you

Robert

drchris · Post by **drchris** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 2:33 am

The Kronos will not accept MIDI over USB from the launchpad currently. Much discussion about this has been thrown around and after all of that, the KORG padKONTROL or one of the AKAI MPD units are the best alternatives for now.

Chris

doogler63 · Post by **doogler63** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 7:54 am

Thank you very much drchris for that information, it seems really strange that such a new keyboard cannot handle midi via USB but l guess that this may be looked at in future updates we hope. l did read about the Akai MPD16 but we cannot buy them anymore in Australia and there doesn’t seem to be any on ebay either. Once again thank you for your advise.

Cheers

Robert

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:11 am

A specialized driver is required to accept that kind of MIDI input over USB. Korg might make one...or not. In the mean time, you cannot use USB pad controllers. But any pad controller that sends out a MIDI port and can be routed to the MIDI in port of the Kronos will work just fine. Already been covered in many posts.

doogler63 · Post by **doogler63** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:40 am

Thank you Stephen l did not no that it had been covered in such detail but l will read up on it.
Thank you once again

Cheers

Robert

cynkh · Post by **cynkh** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 4:22 pm

Here's a question relevant to the Akai controllers: has anyone had a chance to compare MPD pads to those of the MPC-1000? I have an MPC-1000 and since getting the Kronos it has been relegated to controller status. I've had occasion to play with the MPK-49 and MPK-88 and found both of their pad sets to be lacking the dynamic feel of the MPC-1000. I'm curious if this has been corrected with the MPD's. If so, expect to see a well-loved MPC-1000 for sale very imminently!
Thanks!

irtehyar · Post by **irtehyar** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 6:13 pm

Possible new alternative to this:

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2011/07/ ... -pin-midi/

It's a bit pricey, probably because they're the only ones making anything like it. For now.

Lou · Post by **Lou** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:20 am

If you program the MPD 16 pads for CC#110-117 as they are in Kronos (Global/Controllers)
you can then play your pads and they will play any chords that Kronos is set to.

This thread has me confused. I know you cannot plug a usb controller into Kronos and play the pads, but I seem to think that, for instance in Logic, the pad controller shows up as a usb midi device,
which you can hook up to the Kronos device Global channel 1 and send cc# 110 -117 to Kronos to play the pads. I realize if you are playing live without a laptop this may not be of any help. But if you are working in a studio environment, should work.

drchris · Post by **drchris** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:45 am

Great tip on the CC#'s, Lou! I didn't know that little fact, and so far have just been using note numbers higher than the traditional 88 keys. This will be useful.

You're right, if you use USB pads via a DAW / Computer, they will / should work. I think people are talking about direct to the Kronos. In that case, only true MIDI input will work. The Kronos can't receive MIDI over USB from devices other than a computer.

Chris

Lou · Post by **Lou** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 4:53 am

Are you using a Launchpad and if so can you set the pads to the cc#s I mentioned. I have a Launchpad,
I know it's not velocity sensitive, but didn't know if you can set the pads on it to the cc#s..?

Gargamel314 · Post by **Gargamel314** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 5:25 am

RonF wrote:Perhaps I am misunderstanding your post....but the KRONOS CAN already save custom chord triggers, and is shipped programmed with the same basic chord triggers, as the M3 or OASYS. All that is missing is the physical controller (although you get an onscreen controller to replace it). The only function of using a "pad controller" is to add physical pads, if you prefer the physical pad experience to the onscreen controller experience. Otherwise, the KRONOS has the exact same functionality of M3 or OASYS.

But now, if you attach a pad controller, it won't contain the pad settings in the Kronos, it'll have it's own, won't it? so if you call up your grand piano sound, and start pressing pads, it won't play what's preset into the Kronos, you'd have to put that into the pad controller yourself, wouldn't you?

StephenKay · Post by **StephenKay** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 5:47 am

Gargamel314 wrote:But now, if you attach a pad controller, it won't contain the pad settings in the Kronos, it'll have it's own, won't it? so if you call up your grand piano sound, and start pressing pads, it won't play what's preset into the Kronos, you'd have to put that into the pad controller yourself, wouldn't you?

No, if you set the pad device to send the correct CCs/Notes that you specify in the Global > Controllers page, it will trigger the 8 stored chord pad settings in each program/combi, and not the notes stored in the pad device.

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 10:33 am

StephenKay wrote:
Gargamel314 wrote:But now, if you attach a pad controller, it won't contain the pad settings in the Kronos, it'll have it's own, won't it? so if you call up your grand piano sound, and start pressing pads, it won't play what's preset into the Kronos, you'd have to put that into the pad controller yourself, wouldn't you?
No, if you set the pad device to send the correct CCs/Notes that you specify in the Global > Controllers page, it will trigger the 8 stored chord pad settings in each program/combi, and not the notes stored in the pad device.

For Behringer FCB1010 users this means they can control it from the board as well, which is nice because I have 1 or 2 free pedals left and 2 pads are more than enough (I'm using it mainly for a simple effect sound).

drchris · Post by **drchris** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:32 pm

Lou wrote:Are you using a Launchpad and if so can you set the pads to the cc#s I mentioned. I have a Launchpad,
I know it's not velocity sensitive, but didn't know if you can set the pads on it to the cc#s..?

No I'm using a MPK49, but I can do the same setup on it. Again, Thanks!
Chris

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Found a great pad controller

Pad Controllers suitable for Korg kronos