# Midi controller for composing?



## Viegaard (Nov 27, 2016)

Hey.

I am currently using my Yamaha digital piano for playing, but when it comes to doing automations for string parts what would be best to achieve natural sounding results?

Is it possible to do with the mouse in Cubase? Or do I need to invest in a midi controller? I would prefer to keep playing on my Yamaha digital piano. 

If yes. Can someone recommend a controller to use in addition to my piano?


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## Daniel F. (Nov 27, 2016)

A breath controller would be the most natural choice imo. If you don't want a breath controller something like korgNano would be cheap option but mouse it not very good choice.


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## tack (Nov 27, 2016)

Viegaard said:


> If yes. Can someone recommend a controller to use in addition to my piano?


What are your space constraints?


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## Viegaard (Nov 27, 2016)

tack said:


> What are your space constraints?



Since i already have a 88 key digital piano,not more than a 49 key controller would take up in space.


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## Viegaard (Nov 27, 2016)

Daniel F. said:


> A breath controller would be the most natural choice imo. If you don't want a breath controller something like korgNano would be cheap option but mouse it not very good choice.



A breath controller? Is that what the pros use? Can you link and recommend one?


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## muk (Nov 27, 2016)

Some pros use a breath controller, some don't. It's all about finding your own workflow. I use this one and I am very happy with it:

http://www.tecontrol.se/products/usb-midi-breath-controller

It leaves both hands free when playing. You may or may not prefer sliders though, in which case the nanokontrol2 is cheap, small, and functional. I have one but don't use it anymore since I have the TEC.


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## Daniel F. (Nov 27, 2016)

muk said:


> Some pros use a breath controller, some don't. It's all about finding your own workflow. I use this one and I am very happy with it:
> 
> http://www.tecontrol.se/products/usb-midi-breath-controller
> 
> It leaves both hands free when playing. You may or may not prefer sliders though, in which case the nanokontrol2 is cheap, small, and functional. I have one but don't use it anymore since I have the TEC.



That's the one I would recommend also. It's cheapest I know and very good from what people say here.


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## Viegaard (Nov 27, 2016)

muk said:


> Some pros use a breath controller, some don't. It's all about finding your own workflow. I use this one and I am very happy with it:
> 
> http://www.tecontrol.se/products/usb-midi-breath-controller
> 
> It leaves both hands free when playing. You may or may not prefer sliders though, in which case the nanokontrol2 is cheap, small, and functional. I have one but don't use it anymore since I have the TEC.



Looks fine.

Do you play the actual instrument with your breath and use the modwheel for dynamics? Or do you play with your hands and use the breathe for vibrato etc?

Doesn't it get very nasty after a while? (spit and all?)


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## muk (Nov 27, 2016)

A digital piano for the notes and the TEC to control CC1 (volume and timbre crossfade) is the way I use it. You can assign any cc number you want to the TEC, so you could as well control vibrato if you wanted to. The mouthpiece I have is a little t-shaped piece made from hard plastic (apparently they have changed the mouthpiece, as the one I have isn't the one pictured on their site now). It is very easy to remove and rinse with water.


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## Viegaard (Nov 27, 2016)

muk said:


> A digital piano for the notes and the TEC to control CC1 (volume and timbre crossfade) is the way I use it. You can assign any cc number you want to the TEC, so you could as well control vibrato if you wanted to. The mouthpiece I have is a little t-shaped piece made from hard plastic (apparently they have changed the mouthpiece, as the one I have isn't the one pictured on their site now). It is very easy to remove and rinse with water.



Have you heard any feed back from their version with bite function?

I assume the breathe is the same, but with added bite function. I might buy that if its good.


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## muk (Nov 27, 2016)

No experience with the breath and bite controller, I'm afraid. Maybe someone else can chime in.


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## Ron Kords (Nov 27, 2016)

The tecontrol is great. I use breath for dynamics and bite for vib (it's more like squeezing harder for more vib rather than repeated biting)

You can also tilt in 4 directions to control other parameters (pitch bend?) but that gets a bit hectic tbh.

It takes a while to get a happy set up but worth it in the end. I generally use sliders to audition / sketch and then record final parts with the breath controller as having the thing in you mouth the whole time is a bit annoying.

With all that said I've played an EWI for years so only got the tecontrol as its more natural to me than sliders. The control with two hands playing is nice but those parts rarely end up as anything more than placeholders as recording in lines separately (even with same dynamics shape) gives a better result.

If you're handy with multiple sliders, you may not feel much benefit...

Sorry - probably not made your choice much easier... 

Don't forget controller pedals are an option...


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## minimidi (Nov 28, 2016)

Ron Kords said:


> You can also tilt in 4 directions to control other parameters (pitch bend?) but that gets a bit hectic tbh.
> 
> Don't forget controller pedals are an option...



More controllers than this?


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## Ron Kords (Nov 28, 2016)

minimidi said:


> More controllers than this?



Hehe 

Fells like that sometimes


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## rdieters (Nov 30, 2016)

Ron Kords said:


> Hehe
> 
> Fells like that sometimes


This is even better!


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## Morodiene (Nov 30, 2016)

I want one of these.


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## Saxer (Nov 30, 2016)

I tried all the TEControls and am stuck with the cheapest one. I don't use the extra mouthpiece that let's air flow. I use the little plastic end of the pipe and the controller converts the pressure to midi data. It feels like blowing into a pencil. No air gets through. So I rarely get out of air. It's a modwheel replacement for me. I use the modwheel only for loooong string notes (four bars and longer).


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