DdC441I’m a guitar player who’s planning to purchase a MIDI controller keyboard and ideally would like something that integrates well with EZdrummer 3 (which I already own and use in Logic Pro 11). I know there is no support for Native Instruments’ NKS standard, so the Komplete Kontrol keyboards aren’t attractive.
Is there a keyboard out there with tight EZdrummer integration? Be gentle! I’m new to the whole keyboard thing!
Thanks!
Marc TebbensThere are many. Research the Akai Professional MPK Mini MKIII. This is what I use for my midi controller needs. Works great for everything. $100 USD at popular stores. FYI EZD3 is so much fun to use pre-set grooves and song tracks you may not end up using midi controller for it, specifically. Still, the Akai is a great tool to have in your studio arsenal. Good luck!
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Thanked by: DdC441
Bear-Faced CowAside from the fact that you can create your own NKS profiles, I would not recommend the Komplete Kontrol keyboards since they lack various functionality in relation to drums (that’s more Maschine’s domain) amongst other vital DAW controls.
If you’re going to go the keyboard route I’d recommend looking into the latest offerings by either Novation or Arturia. Both work very well in both keyboard and finger drumming scenarios and are highly configurable for any instrument. As well, in Logic Pro 11, you can also set them up to take advantage of Smart Controls.
jord
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Thanked by: DdC441DdC441Thanks for your reply! I had shortlisted the Arturia KeyLab 61 mk3. I also have looked seriously at the Novation 61SL MkIII
I think either would be ideal if they had polyphonic aftertouch and MIDI 2.0. Should the lack of these two features be deal breakers? They sound like features I would want and use, and I really only want to by a keyboard once, so future-proofing is important.
Bear-Faced CowI don’t care for aftertouch and MIDI 2.0 isn’t a real selling point, especially since the current MIDI standard has more than held its own for over 4 decades and is very much relevant today, as much as playability, configurability and the ability to control various instruments. It’s why I like those two keyboards.
jord
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Thanked by: DdC441
BradI don’t care for aftertouch and MIDI 2.0 isn’t a real selling point, especially since the current MIDI standard has more than held its own for over 4 decades and is very much relevant today, as much as playability, configurability and the ability to control various instruments. It’s why I like those two keyboards.
jord
You beat me to it my friend, in regards to polyphonic aftertouch. It seems to be more of a nuisance in many ways than an enhancement….
IMHO of course….
FWIW I use a Nectar LX80 and love it. Though it has some features I don’t need (like non-motorized faders) mine is about 8 years old and takes a beating.
When it comes to keyboard playing I have all the nuance of a German jazz band (apolgize to Germany).
Arturia Keylabs are nice as their keybeds are made by Fatar (I believe they still are anyway), which always have a nice feel.
I have an old Studio Logic I drag out once in a while.
Mac Studio M1 Max, RAM 64 GB, 1TB Drive, OSX 12.x/13.x and Windows 10 (VM)
DAW: Studio One Pro (always up to date)
DTX Express III (Extreme triggers), Nektar LX88
OWC Thunderbay Mini (4 X 1TB Sata SSD), Express 4M2 (4 X 2TB M.2 SSD), Envoy Express (1TB M.2 SSD)
Presonus Quantum, Faderport & Faderport 8
Black Lion Sparrow Mk2 A/D, FMR-RNP-RNC, MIDI Xpress 128, BM5A, KRK VXT4, Equator D5
2020 Macbook Pro 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Audio(mobile rig)
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Thanked by: DdC441 and Bear-Faced CowBear-Faced CowNuisance was definitely the word that came to mind. You only said what I was thinking.
I picked up a Novation Launchkey 88 and I like its features including the slide faders on it as I configure them along with the other controls to work with things like Session Organ on the fly.
My other keyboard is a digital piano that I’ve had for over 10 years which I use heavily with the Orchestral Grand, and the only reason I want to replace it is because it is bulky and clunky making it awkward to play on a keyboard stand. You are correct in that the Arturia Keylab 88 has a Fatar keyboard bed. If that means it has a decent piano type action and I can snag one at a decent price, I will definitely be buying one.
admittedly I am no pianist… guitar is my first instrument. However, I have been reconnecting with the piano and organ (love Hammond B3s) and playing far more thanks to the recent ToonTrack offerings. They have been rather instrumental in me reconnecting with music altogether since 2017 after a couple of years apart from it.
Mind you, as far as EZ Drummer and Superior Drummer go, I have a couple of Maschine controllers specifically for that purpose (when I am not using the session players in Logic Pro 11 as my drummer).
jord
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Thanked by: Brad and DdC441DdC441Thanks for all the feedback! I appreciate you all taking the time to share your knowledge and experience. I think I’ve narrowed it down to two keyboards – one if I go big and one if I go small.
BIG – Korg Keystage 61-keysmall – Arturia KeyStep 32-key or Akai Professional MPK Mini MKIII 25-KeyReally the decision is do I want to take the time to invest in becoming a keyboard player (taking time away from guitar), or do I just need an interface to work more efficiently in Logic Pro. I’m pretty sure I’m going small. The two small choices are inexpensive enough they doesn’t rule out getting the Korg after I’ve had a chance to learn on the Arturia.
Bear-Faced CowReally the decision is do I want to take the time to invest in becoming a keyboard player (taking time away from guitar), or do I just need an interface to work more efficiently in Logic Pro.
This is a bit of a contradictory statement. In order to be able to work more efficiently in Logic with a keyboard, you are going to have to take the time to invest in it. You don’t just plug it in and all of sudden you are bending Logic around it. It sounds like you will need to take some time to invest in Logic as well in order to make a more informed decision as to what you will need in order to use Logic.
And if you think all this is taking away from being a guitarist, then coming from a long-time guitarist, I’ll tell you that you probably need to change your attitude regarding that. There is no return without investment and nothing I have used over the past half century of playing guitar (including Logic from its very beginning) has taken away from playing guitar… only added to it.
jord
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Thanked by: DdC441DdC441Well stated, Jord; and good advice. I’m currently working my way through a Logic Pro 11 course, but I found a deal on an Akai Professional MPK Mini Plus. So, I pulled the trigger. It will fit nicely on my desk and seems to have enough features to educate me when (if) I feel the need to upgrade.
I appreciate everyone’s contributions to this topic. Thanks!
Bear-Faced CowLet us know when you’re really ready to go down the rabbit hole with Logic Pro 11. I have a few tricks that you might not find in your course that might accelerate your songwriting. 😀
And If you haven’t done so yet, download the Logic Pro 11 session player maps for EZ Drummer 3.
jord
DdC441I lied! I had reservations about the Akai from the moment I purchased it. Not that I thought it wouldn’t work fine, but I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something better out there. I don’t care about portability being strictly a bedroom musician, so instead on get a “tweener” at 37 keys, I moved up to 49.
I returned the Akai unopened and purchased a Novation Launchkey 49 MK4. It arrives today, but viewing the online videos, I’m already convinced I made the correct decision. Finding it on sale for $209 sealed the deal!
If anyone is interested, I’ll report in after a few weeks.
Jord, I downloaded the Logic Pro 11 session player maps for EZ Drummer 3. The folder in which the post tells me to place the files doesn’t exist on my machine. To keep things clean, I’ll post my questions about it in that topic’s thread.
Thanks again for everyone’s help!
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