# Best Value 100 MM Faders for Film/TV Orchestral Melodic Composing?



## Sunny Kumar Dallas TX (Jul 6, 2022)

My 17 year old daughter just returned from a month long Screen Scoring Summer Intensive for media composers at New York University and received enough kudos for her cues that I feel I need to get her upgraded samples and equipment. Her music is primarily melodic, low tension, upbeat with a sense of magic and wonderment. Though fully orchestral with some synths, pads and drums her tracks are based primarily lyrical/melodic piano, strings and solo violin and cello. I just upgraded her to TG cello, JBV and 8dio NCBrass. Her mainstay was EWCC (incl EW Solos), Walker D and Spitfire Symph Strings. 

Based on my reading here, I am thinking she could benefit from learning how to use CC Faders to bring more realism into her tracks. She has just started using the mod wheel after resisting for 2 years. She is still very new to using CC but from what I understand, using faders effectively can dramatically improve your tracks. 

I am thinking of a 4 or 5 fader unit. She is learning fast and has some exciting publishing offers so I hope the fader unit is best quality at a reasonable price that can grow with her. Unfortunately my budget is $150 and I was thinking of ordering the 5 fader unit from here that was well received at VIC









The MIDI Maker


Custom MIDI and audio controllers for sound engineers, music composers, content creators, sound mixers, and more.




themidimaker.com





At $110 it seems like a bargain based what I read here at VIC. Please recommend alternatives based on the use case scenario above. 

Also we are both ignorant on the art of CC usage. What should we keep in mind as we buy this unit? Should we go with 3 faders or perhaps 8? Pros and cons? Any tips on getting her to start using faders? She hates changing her workflow which currently is to play in one track per articulation, use mod wheel reluctantly on 2nd pass on some tracks and then spend serious time redrawing with the mouse. Now that we have better libraries that may be more CC friendly perhaps it is a good time to get her to use CCs with a high quality fader unit? 

What do you guys think? 

Thanks in advance


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## HM_Music (Jul 6, 2022)




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## PaulieDC (Jul 6, 2022)

Sunny Kumar Dallas TX said:


> My 17 year old daughter just returned from a month long Screen Scoring Summer Intensive for media composers at New York University and received enough kudos for her cues that I feel I need to get her upgraded samples and equipment. Her music is primarily melodic, low tension, upbeat with a sense of magic and wonderment. Though fully orchestral with some synths, pads and drums her tracks are based primarily lyrical/melodic piano, strings and solo violin and cello. I just upgraded her to TG cello, JBV and 8dio NCBrass. Her mainstay was EWCC (incl EW Solos), Walker D and Spitfire Symph Strings.
> 
> Based on my reading here, I am thinking she could benefit from learning how to use CC Faders to bring more realism into her tracks. She has just started using the mod wheel after resisting for 2 years. She is still very new to using CC but from what I understand, using faders effectively can dramatically improve your tracks.
> 
> ...


I have the 3-fader unit from the fella Jeff. It’s a $90 controller, so the faders are going to be ok at best. The fader caps were so sharp on the edges that I ordered a bag on eBay to replace them. The unit works, but the faders over time have not stayed smooth, they seem to intermittently grip then quickly let go as you use it. Sometimes where I’m doing a gentle change, and the fader “grips”, or I should say momentarily sticks like you slightly pulled on the brake lever if a bike tire, and the fader stays put while my finger slides off. Cheap fader modules perform cheap.

I’d go with one of these listed below, although they are all above your budget. If I may be so bold, this unit is extremely important, not the place to try and save money. It’s like cheap rental skates at an ice rink, it just doesn’t work. My suggestions:









Fader Pro - Special Offer


High Quality MIDI CC Programmable Alps Faders




musiotech.com













FVDE by Audio Imperia


Premium customizable MIDI CC controller for composers and producers



fvdebyai.com













Audio Console


A modular, freeform control surface for a better way to create




monogramcc.com





I’m a huge Monogram fan but it’s only three faders and they are 60mm, not 100mm, but that’s not necessarily bad especially if she has small hands. Built like a tank and expandable. You can add a second fader module and she’ll have 6 faders. The Monogram can be used with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Premiere Pro as well if you do any photo/video work.

btw, are you sure she needs 5 faders to start with? Most do fine with three, some need 8, it all varies. 5 faders or more starts getting big if that’s ok. Oh, speaking of, this unit can be ordered with 60mm or 100mm faders:









ChoiSauce Designs


MIDI Faders, Music Faders, MIDI Programming, Composer Tools, Film Composer




choisaucedesigns.com





Happy shopping!


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Jul 6, 2022)

Just want to say it always warms my heart whenever I see a parent who wants to help their child(ren) in achieving whatever dreams and goals they have in life.

Wish all parents were like you


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Jul 6, 2022)

Btw. some pros actually use Korg Nanocontrol 2.

I think it’s only 30 mm faders but apparently it gets the job done since these folks are using it.


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## ThomasB (Jul 6, 2022)

+1 for Korg Nanocontrol 2.
A lot of value for the money
10 faders + more knobs and buttons
Good starting point into world of faders


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## Nimrod7 (Jul 7, 2022)

The nakedboard MC8 is fantastic.


https://nakedboards.org/mc-8



I have controllers in the studio with 100mm costing up to $900 and still using that one.
It’s 60mm however if you are considering smaller ones.


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## BGaussling (Jul 7, 2022)

I use the Icon Platform M+. Around 300 Euros, rock solid, 9 smooth 100 mm motorized faders(you can switch the motor off if you like). It's also really helpful for doing the mix later on. You can switch the device from Midi CC to DAW remote control (Mackie protocol) and vice versa. It's very versatile, thus needing a little time to setup, but the included midi mapping app is pretty good.


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## Sunny Kumar Dallas TX (Jul 7, 2022)

Henrik B. Jensen said:


> Just want to say it always warms my heart whenever I see a parent who wants to help their child(ren) in achieving whatever dreams and goals they have in life.
> 
> Wish all parents were like you


Thanks Henrik! It is a blessing to be able to support what she enjoys and is good at. Fortunately or unfortunately she dislikes every other option as a career choice so it is pretty clear I need to enable her to succeed as much as I can. Plus one can't hope for a better bonding medium between a parent and their child. My daughter and I have been a "team" exploring music since she was 4 though I still can't finger pluck even the simplest of melodies if my life depended on it though somehow I can find my way around terms like CC, MIDI, BUS, DAW, HOOPUS, SABBCO, CSS, CSSS, LASS and all the other mumbo jumbo terms you folks have taught me 😁


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## Sunny Kumar Dallas TX (Jul 7, 2022)

PaulieDC said:


> . If I may be so bold, this unit is extremely important, not the place to try and save money. It’s like cheap rental skates at an ice rink, it just doesn’t work


I see this as both good news and bad news. 

Even with mediocre samples, little to no mod wheel usage and zero fader riding, she still has been able to write tracks that have attracted interest. Upgraded samples will help a lot but as you imply, a good unit for effective CC is probably critical and a game changer if her tracks are to get even better. It will be good to see her music writing benefit significantly from investing in a good fader unit. 

The bad part is I did not budget for nor expected what seems like a simple electronic gadget to cost almost as much as our ebay sourced 2012 MBP Quad i7 16GB RAM 4TB Internal SSD I built as her mobile rig to take to NYU for a month and write 6 competent cues that drew interest from some well known Hollywood composers that taught the course. $400 to $900 for a relibale, top class fader unit? As you folks have said in other threads, there seems to be a market gap here. 

I am still hoping I can find something around $150 that is at least functional and durable. I mean her jerry rigged $700 MBP took tremendous abuse in NY for a month and still performed admirably.


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## Sunny Kumar Dallas TX (Jul 8, 2022)

Thank you all for your responses. I was hoping for minimum 60 mm faders Nanokontrol is out. 

Nimrod7 - Thanks for the the Nakedboard MC8 recommendation. I searched VIC and found a couple others who have it and would like additional input on it especially regarding durability. Also it seems to ship from Russia so not sure how the current political situation affects shipping?


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## ravez (Jul 8, 2022)

Nanokontrol Studio has 8 60mm faders and plenty of buttons too, light cheap, compact and works great 









nanoKONTROL Studio - MOBILE MIDI CONTROLLER | KORG (Canada - EN)


KORG




www.korg.com


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## Sunny Kumar Dallas TX (Jul 8, 2022)

ravez said:


> Nanokontrol Studio has 8 60mm faders and plenty of buttons too, light cheap, compact and works great


I didn't know about the Studio version. Will check it out for sure. Have folks had good experience with it?


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## method1 (Jul 8, 2022)

I have 60mm on my Arturia key lab which are quite nice, 100m on a panorama p1, also a good option but a bit bulky, and some 100mm sparrow faders, that said, I end up using the nanokontrol2 more often than the others, only 55mm fader throw +- but they work perfectly for me, I can move the faders with my thumb while playing keys, which as it turns out is the best workflow for me. I initially dismissed it due to price & size but it's probably the most useful controller I own!


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## Henu (Jul 8, 2022)

Englighten me, folks. I've seen a lot of discussion about faders recently, and I'm wondering why. What do they bring to the table you can't do with a modwheel or a couple of in-build sliders in your controller? Or is it about precision plus resolution due to the bigger lenght?


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## ravez (Jul 8, 2022)

I took the keybed of my s88 to fit it under my desk, so i need to have separate faders on the desk, nothing wrong with the ones built into keyboards, depending on the models of course. Also some instruments have lots of cc faders like synchron player, so having 8 faders helps to reach them right away. 60 vs 100 feels more like personal preference, some like finger control, others like less arm movement as opposed to just sliding your fingers. Then budget, build quality, reliability, software, all matters towards your choice.


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## ptram (Jul 8, 2022)

Henrik B. Jensen said:


> Btw. some pros actually use Korg Nanocontrol 2.
> I think it’s only 30 mm faders but apparently it gets the job done since these folks are using it.


The Nano series is a bit different from some other inexpensive controllers, in trying to give good tactile feedback. So, keys are not spongy, and sliders are smooth. They are just a miniature version of real music devices, that can easily find room in a crowded workspace.

(I work for Korg, so keep my words with a grain of salt - and go purchase more Korg gears!)

Paolo


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## Guavadude (Jul 8, 2022)

Studiologic Mixface is another good option. Lot of bang for the buck and the faders while not 100mm feel really great.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Jul 8, 2022)

I would also look at an ipad with lemur. This is the cheapest and most flexible solution I can think of. The only reason I can think of not using this is because you are so used to physical faders that you need them. If you are young and just starting I would get used to the touch screen of an ipad. You can customize the length of the faders, add as many buttons and keyswitsches as you like, save real estate on your desk, make different scenes for different libraries. To me a lot of advantages. And not the least it is totally rock solid works on Mac and Windows alike and worked for me at least through all the upgrades of OS systems. Hardware units I would had to throw away because of old firmware and what not during the years I used my old ipad and lemur


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## Sunny Kumar Dallas TX (Jul 11, 2022)

Thank you all for your imput. Lots of options to consider but it looks like Nanokontrol2 may be good to start with and if she outgrows it then maybe upgrade.


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## ChrisHarrison (Jul 12, 2022)

Sunny Kumar Dallas TX said:


> Thank you all for your imput. Lots of options to consider but it looks like Nanokontrol2 may be good to start with and if she outgrows it then maybe upgrade.


Honestly, the iPhone kicks ass for cc control. Nice long super accurate toch screen and it’s free! 

Get the touch osc app. Takes about 3 minutes to program a two large fader option.


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## Sunny Kumar Dallas TX (Jul 12, 2022)

christopherharriso said:


> Honestly, the iPhone kicks ass for cc control. Nice long super accurate toch screen and it’s free!
> 
> Get the touch osc app. Takes about 3 minutes to program a two large fader option.


Thanks for this recommendation. Is this or another app available for Android that works well? We have a couple of Note5, S6 Samsung phones lying around.


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## ed buller (Jul 12, 2022)

Choisauce CS100. It's a thing of beauty

best

e


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## Henrik B. Jensen (Jul 12, 2022)

ed buller said:


> Choisauce CS100. It's a thing of beauty
> 
> best
> 
> e


Sure, if you like red


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## gsilbers (Jul 12, 2022)

Sunny Kumar Dallas TX said:


> My 17 year old daughter just returned from a month long Screen Scoring Summer Intensive for media composers at New York University and received enough kudos for her cues that I feel I need to get her upgraded samples and equipment. Her music is primarily melodic, low tension, upbeat with a sense of magic and wonderment. Though fully orchestral with some synths, pads and drums her tracks are based primarily lyrical/melodic piano, strings and solo violin and cello. I just upgraded her to TG cello, JBV and 8dio NCBrass. Her mainstay was EWCC (incl EW Solos), Walker D and Spitfire Symph Strings.
> 
> Based on my reading here, I am thinking she could benefit from learning how to use CC Faders to bring more realism into her tracks. She has just started using the mod wheel after resisting for 2 years. She is still very new to using CC but from what I understand, using faders effectively can dramatically improve your tracks.
> 
> ...


i have this unit. I ordered a 4 fader version with 4 knobs. you can customize however you prefer.

most of the libraries will have CC1, CC11, CC7 that will get you to a good place. I use the extra fader for DAW mixing/volume. And the knobs for synth filter and ADSR.

The way she is doing it fine and the libraries as well. The rest is just working at it and transcibring music cues and practicing.

you can check out the facebook/IG page of john powell where he shows his template and the controller he uses.
most of the folks at remote control use the jcooper midi controller but thats like $800 and not much better than the midimaker ones except that its motorized (if im not mistaken) which is not really needed.

btw- there are other CC controls but each library is a little different. so imo, the basic is fine and then kontakt has options to automate/assign those different controllers which is what i do with an extra knob or fader. But in general i woudnt overthink it.


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## tony10000 (Jul 12, 2022)

TouchOSC all the way. It runs on an iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, or even a really cheap Kindle Fire!






TouchOSC | hexler.net







hexler.net


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